Interview with Yarden Karmin (First Aid) Selected Short Film Comp

On the 23rd of April, a selection of short films by graduates of the Sam Spiegel film school in Jerusalem were screened at the Tel Aviv cinematheque. One of those films was “First Aid” by director Yarden Karmin. The film tells the story of man who’s about to get married, but then drives to the countryside to have one last sexual encounter with his ex. The film was accepted to the short film competition at the upcoming Cannes film festival and belongs to the longstanding history behind the Sam Spiegel Film School – an Israeli film school with a reputation of supplying several short films to the film festival circuit, including the major one on the Croisette next week.

Last year, “Diploma” by Yaelle Kayam received the third prize at the cinefondation, and in 2008 Elad Keidan “Himnon” (Anthem) won first prize of the Cinefondation, this year Karmin has a tough challenge ahead of him. Having seen the film myself, I would say that it’s extremely well-made and will have instant fans, but I’m curious as to how film fest judges will receive the picture – as they (perhaps Egoyan and co.) tend to prefer the more out-of-the-ordinary kind of film. I caught up with Yarden Karmin before he took off for Cannes.

Eithan Weitz: It seems that the two characters in your film (the guy and his ex) are played by two actors who seem to have very good chemistry. You can really sense that there is a history between those two characters. Tell me about the casting of your movie.
Yarden Karmin: I saw Hilla Vidor in a movie she made a couple of years ago called “Things Behind the Sun” and I knew I wanted her for the lead female part in my movie. I sent her the script, she read it, loved it, and agreed to do it. As for the guy part, that took a little leg work. With the help of my casting director, we met with a few agents, until we came across Erez Cahana. We invited him over for an audition, and he read together with Hilla. The audition went very well, as it was apparent that there is chemistry between the two, and after rehearsing the script for a while, we proceeded to shoot.

Weitz: I read in your biography that you were born and raised in a Kibbutz. Your movie, chronicling a guy afraid to commit, takes place in the countryside, while his bride to be is in the city. Would you say that you see the open landscapes as a symbol for freedom, while the city symbolizes a kind of prison for you?
Karmin: Not really. It’s obvious that this is the view of the main character in my film, but as for me, I left the Kibbutz when I was 8, and since then I’ve been around quite a few places in the world. For some time now I’ve been living in big city Jerusalem, and I’m quite happy with that. I actually quite enjoy urban surroundings.

Weitz: I’ve been watching some of the films of the graduates from your school, and your name appeared on the credits on a couple of them, mainly as a director of photography. Is it something you wish to pursue in the future, or will you take up directing exclusively?
Karmin: It’s true that I enjoy being behind the camera, but I think I’ll stick to directing.

Weitz: Your film was shot on 16mm, while as far as I know, most film schools in the country are shooting their films in DV or BETA. Tell me about your choice to use this stock.
Karmin: As a matter of fact, the Sam Spiegel film school is now in the last stages of a process of moving from shooting in film to shooting in HD. When I shot my film, I still had the choice between film and HD. I felt that the location needed the film material. It has a romantic feel to it.

Weitz: From what I heard, studies in the Sam Spiegel School are quite intense and the days are rather long. Yet, on top of everything, you are holding two jobs. Where do you find the time to do that, and also to make a film in the process?
Karmin: It’s not accurate. Studies in the first and second year are intense, but then the pressure decreases, and you can concentrate on making your film.

Weitz: So what are your future plans? Any TV series of a feature in the works?
Karmin: Actually I had a lot of plans, and I even began shooting a documentary with a film camera I have, but the happy news I received last week brought everything to a halt. I’m going to try to use the prestige of the Cannes film festival to widen my possibilities in the future, and maybe discuss future projects I plan with a few important people.