I am going to be perfectly honest and admit that within the first few minutes of watching Savoy, I was afraid I might be watching something that was going to be Islamophobic Zionist propaganda. It is a docudrama based on the 1975 Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) attack on the Savoy hotel in Tel Aviv. I’m glad I reserved judgment and feel sort of ridiculous for ever even thinking that. The film is quite objective. Writer/director Zohar Wagner combines re-enactment with real-life audio and video footage of the event. The narration comes from the diary of the unlikely heroine of this situation, Kochava Levy.
Levy is not on a cute vacation with her new boyfriend or something a female protagonist is usually seen doing at the beginning of the film. Instead, Kochava Levy is at the Savoy cheating on her husband with her lover, Avraham Azikiri. We start with the two of them in bed. Then all hell breaks loose as the PLO breaks into the hotel and opens fire. Pretty soon, all the guests and employees of the hotel become hostages. The Israeli army arrives outside. It is then that Levy becomes a translator and envoy between the PLO and the Israelis.
Through the mix of narration, dramatic re-enactments, and actual news footage from both the Palestinians and the Israelis, Savoy proves to be a fair and balanced assessment of this event the media spun for its own means. It’s also impressive that so much story can be packed into 78 minutes. This could very easily be an episode of an HBO drama and has similar production value.
“…Kochava Levy is at the Savoy cheating on her husband…all hell breaks loose as the PLO breaks into the hotel…”
One of my favorite moments that some people might not notice if they’re not looking for it is at around the halfway point. Director of photography Moshe Mishali does a great Spike Lee-style tracking shot of Dana Ivgy as Levy in the hotel. Not sure if this was an homage, but I hope it was because I appreciated it.
Speaking about the “Israeli/Palestinian problem” is not within my wheelhouse. I have my own marginally formed opinions. However, truth be told, I do not know much about the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict except that I blame it on religion. But, it’s true that one country’s terrorist can be another one’s hero, and Savoy addresses that very effectively.
Additionally, I appreciate that Wagner weaves Levy’s narrative into retelling this event. The story structure gives us more of a personal lens through which to look at this. After the event, the news, including Time, referred to Levy as a prostitute. She sued them and won! Even though Kochava Levy is a badass, she was not treated well by history til now. The news exposed her infidelity to her husband. She just survived a terrorist attack, and people are worried if she’s a slut or not? Welcome to the world.
If you’re interested in women’s stories told honestly, then you should absolutely see Savoy. Zohar Wagner gives Kochava Levy the biopic she deserves. Please check the documentary out as soon as possible.
"…gives us more of a personal lens..."
