Telling (and doctoring) the battle of Jericho
Director Amir Kovacs discusses his new film about Joshua
Haifa-born Amir Kovacs had trouble settling on a career. He studied architecture in Israel. He came to the United States and got a medical degree, but then dashed every Jewish mother’s dream by deciding not to practice.
Why?
Because he wanted to go into the film business.
It’s been a minute — he graduated med school in 2003 — but his first production, an animated feature called “Book of Joshua: Walls of Jericho,” begins streaming on major VOD platforms on June 3.
“I’m a big fan of biblical epic stories,” Mr. Kovacs explained in a Zoom interview. That and his connection to “the State of Israel, where I was born and raised, inspired the project.”
Even the most secular folks are likely familiar with the basic outline of the story, central to the beliefs of Jews and Christians alike, and recognized by Muslims.
In very rough summary: Under Moses’ leadership, the Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years, (somewhat reluctantly) receive the Ten Commandments, and eventually land at the Jordan River, near the Promised Land.
It is, however, a Promised Land that Moses is forbidden from entering. Instead, he is ordered by God to appoint Joshua as the Israelites’ leader. Battling enemies along the way, they reach the River Jordan — which parts for them — and ultimately the heavily fortified walls of Jericho.
Mr. Kovacs added several fictional characters to the story “to make it more dramatic.” For example, Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute who assists the Israeli spies sent into Jericho, is given a sister. Several fictional soldiers get speaking parts.
But other than that, the film is an interesting and very accurate retelling of the biblical story — which might pose a problem for some viewers. It is faithful to the violence portrayed in the Bible, where entire villages are destroyed by the Israelites and their inhabitants killed. If this were a live-action film, it would be rated X for extreme violence.
Mr. Kovacs mitigates the violence a bit by making the Amorite kings such as Og and Sihon — you should pardon the expression — cartoonish, more closely resembling Popeye’s nemesis Bluto. All are missing teeth.
“As a matter of fact, the Bible is much more violent than the film,” Mr. Kovacs said. “We toned it down. And apparently they don’t care.”
By “they,” he meant the test groups who screened the movie.
Showings to Christian audiences revealed that “the Christian community didn’t care about the violence. They cared more about the sexuality. So if I showed skin — there’s a scene where Rehab is dancing — they thought it was a little too provocative.”
What about Jewish test groups? “The Jews don’t care. We simply don’t care.”
The film, he said, is unrelated and was not impacted by the events of October 7. “I wrote the screenplay in the early 2000s, and it took quite a while to make the decision to actually go for it,” he said. “We started production three and a half years ago, so it had no relationship to current events. It just made it that much more important to finish.”
Although Joshua’s s story is the first fruit to ripen, it isn’t Mr. Kovacs’ first planting. In 2003, he wrote a screenplay based on the experiences of his grandfather, who escaped from communist Hungary with the help of the Haganah. He sent it to festivals, where it was a selection at both the Beverly Hills and Toronto film festivals. “One day, I got a phone call, and on the phone, it said No Caller ID,” he said. “At the time, no caller ID meant my parents were calling from Israel.
“So I pick up the phone and the voice on the other end is Jay Leno. And he says, ‘Amir, I have your screenplay. How can I help you?’
“I said, ‘I need money. I need your contacts. I need Spielberg.’
“And he said, ‘Amir, you have to make this movie.’ And I said, ‘I really don’t know how to make a movie. I barely know how to write a screenplay.’”
Ultimately, Leno was unable to provide much assistance, but buoyed by Leno’s positive reaction, Mr. Kovacs was convinced to leave medicine and focus on film.
In fact, he came this close to getting that screenplay, “Goodbye Komarom,” filmed. “We literally almost went into production. I went to Hungary with my parents. We did a whole tour of locations. We went over casting. We had a director. We had a producer. Then a month before we got the green light, the producer, unfortunately passed away, and with him went the money.”
But Mr. Kovacs hasn’t given up. He’s still hoping to get the story on the screen. And he envisioned Joshua as a trilogy and plans to continue the prophet’s journey.
And if it all works out, Mr. Kovacs will find his Promised Land, too.
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