There's a new movie in production that will tell the story of the beginnings of the Israeli Air Force and the role played by foreign volunteer pilots in its formation.
Above and Beyond: The Birth of the Israeli Air Force
In 1948, a group of World War II pilots volunteered to fight for Israel in the War of Independence. As members of “Machal” – volunteers from abroad – this ragtag band of brothers not only turned the tide of the war, preventing the possible annihilation of Israel at the very moment of its birth; they also laid the groundwork for the Israeli Air Force.
Above and Beyond is their story.
The first major feature-length documentary about the foreign airmen in the War of Independence, Above and Beyond brings together new interviews with pilots from the ’48 War, as well as leading scholars and statesmen, including President Shimon Peres, to present an extraordinary, little-known tale with reverberations up to the present day.
Above and Beyond is currently in production.
There's more at the movie's Web site, and in an article written about it for Warbird Digest magazine (the link is to an Adobe Acrobat document in .PDF format).
Here's a teaser trailer for the movie, almost eight minutes long. Highly recommended viewing.
If it's well done, this might become a must-see movie. Our family doctor in South Africa was one of those who volunteered to fight for newly-independent Israel in 1948, so I already feel a connection to it.
Peter
Yep, that one I'll actually PAY to go see...
ReplyDeleteWanna see it. The Israelis did so well building up a real military despite the British and even the US working pretty hard to keep them fro getting the equipment and personnel.
ReplyDeleteThis looks very promising.
ReplyDeleteI desperately hope that the finished product is true to its subject, unlike two appalling movies of recent times, Pearl Harbour and Tuskegee Airmen (or whatever that eminently forgettable movie was called).
The benchmark of quality was established by 'The Battle of Britain, yes it had some faults, but they were far outweighed by the overall quality.
I wait with bated breath for this story.
Yep, I'll pay to see this one. Good men in tough times with catch-as-catch-can equipment. And they still kicked butt.
ReplyDeleteI just hope they can work in Chris Magee.
ReplyDeleteA VMF 214 Black Sheep hero, he went to Israel and flew the dreadful Czech S-199's for them.
He was a real character.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Magee_(fighter_pilot)