Israeli Indie Cinema Done Right?: Ido Fluk’s Never Too Late

Usually I’m rather suspicious when it comes to the independent filmmaking scene here in Israel. Though the heart is usually in the right place, most of indie films here lack in basic technical skills — this deficiency makes many of these films unwatchable. However, there are a few exceptions to the rule. There was Danny Lerner’s Frozen Days back in 2006, and it appears that a film titled Never Too Late might make low budget synonymous with overall quality.

After directing a few shorts, and working in video-clips and in commercials, the Brooklyn-based visual artist Ido Fluk managed to raise a small amount of money via his website, and started shooting his feature film debut. The basic story line behind Never Too Late, revolves around a young man returning to Israel following the death of his father and the break up from his Australian girl friend. In the 8 years he’s been away many things changed in the Israeli landscape. He manages to get a job putting up posters on bulletin boards. His job takes him all across Israel, putting up posters with the slogan “Never Too Late” written on them.

In an attempt to raise the rest of the money needed to complete the production, Fluk went online, offering people the chance to invest in the production in return for percentages from future revenues. Quite a few people answered Fluk’s calling, thus enabling him to commence and complete shooting. And a few weeks ago, while still in the editing room, the project received an enormous boost from the Haifa Film Festival: an award of 25,000 Euros, to help complete the film during its post-production.

Nothing about this road movie seemed appetizing to me, but then I had the chance to see a trio of teaser trailers and let’s just say I’m floored by the quality, the atmospherics, the lyrical compositions, and the enchanting music we’ll likely see in the score. Along with the latest intriguing projects from Eran Kolirin (The Band’s Visit) and Joseph Cedar (Beaufort), Fluk’s Never Too Late could be the little gem that catches everyone off their guards. All three snip-its certainly peg this as an extremely promising film to watch out for in 2011.