Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story
Uses Yoni's own words - in the form of his moving, eloquent letters and poems - to create a searing portrait of his short but meaningful life.
Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story
JULY 4, 1976 Entebbe, Uganda. Led by Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu, crack Israeli commandos race from their airplanes covered by the midnight darkness. Methodically, they approach a non-descript airline terminal, burst inside, killing the stunned terrorists. Helpless and shocked, 103 hostages lift their heads and gratefully weep at the mesmerizing sight of their saviors.
As the alarms begin to sound, the Israeli soldiers strike with surgical precision and speed -- a lightning bolt of controlled, finely rehearsed fury. It is all over in a few minutes. Terrorists lay dead. The hostages rush out to board the transport planes waiting to evacuate the hostages to safety. During the mission, a lone shot from a control tower burst in the night -- and a sharp cry for help is heard. That cry would become the cry of an entire nation, mourning the loss of its prodigal son… Thirty-year-old Yonatan Netanyahu has been shot dead. And with his death, Yonatan became an international hero.
"Thoughtful and moving, an elegy to a poetic man of action."
– Joe Bendel
“Conveys a bright sense of a vibrant young man in love with his life, with women and with Israel.”
- Jordana Horn, The Jewish Daily Forward
An intimate journey into a young hero’s mind, the narration for this compelling journey was drawn from Yonatan Netanyahu's own letters and words, which unveil the complex character of this thoroughly modern young hero. Yonatan's words are deeply moving through his deep-rooted introspection, self-understanding, and heartfelt passions. Featuring interviews with three Israeli Prime Ministers, Yoni’s ex-wife (for the first time), and recently released audio from the Entebbe operation itself—–Follow Me brings a rare portrait of Israel’s elite soldiers and their greatest hero to the big screen.
The film consists of two story arcs that tragically and heroically connect. The first is the dramatic Entebbe hijack and rescue -- 8 days when a nation held its breath and executed a military miracle that redefined the Jewish Nation’s call – “Never Again!”. The second is the remarkable life story of Yonatan Netanyahu, a young soldier who struggled to find the balance between his family and the Nation he loved.
Palm Springs International Film Festival – Best of the Fest
New York Jewish Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
Charleston Film Festival – Winner – Best of the Fest
Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Featuring Interviews with: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, Yoni’s ex-wife Tutti and girlfriend Bruria, Members of the elite Entebbe mission strike force, Sayeret Matkal
Narrator: Marton Csokas (The Debt)
As the alarms begin to sound, the Israeli soldiers strike with surgical precision and speed -- a lightning bolt of controlled, finely rehearsed fury. It is all over in a few minutes. Terrorists lay dead. The hostages rush out to board the transport planes waiting to evacuate the hostages to safety. During the mission, a lone shot from a control tower burst in the night -- and a sharp cry for help is heard. That cry would become the cry of an entire nation, mourning the loss of its prodigal son… Thirty-year-old Yonatan Netanyahu has been shot dead. And with his death, Yonatan became an international hero.
"Thoughtful and moving, an elegy to a poetic man of action."
– Joe Bendel
“Conveys a bright sense of a vibrant young man in love with his life, with women and with Israel.”
- Jordana Horn, The Jewish Daily Forward
An intimate journey into a young hero’s mind, the narration for this compelling journey was drawn from Yonatan Netanyahu's own letters and words, which unveil the complex character of this thoroughly modern young hero. Yonatan's words are deeply moving through his deep-rooted introspection, self-understanding, and heartfelt passions. Featuring interviews with three Israeli Prime Ministers, Yoni’s ex-wife (for the first time), and recently released audio from the Entebbe operation itself—–Follow Me brings a rare portrait of Israel’s elite soldiers and their greatest hero to the big screen.
The film consists of two story arcs that tragically and heroically connect. The first is the dramatic Entebbe hijack and rescue -- 8 days when a nation held its breath and executed a military miracle that redefined the Jewish Nation’s call – “Never Again!”. The second is the remarkable life story of Yonatan Netanyahu, a young soldier who struggled to find the balance between his family and the Nation he loved.
Palm Springs International Film Festival – Best of the Fest
New York Jewish Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
Charleston Film Festival – Winner – Best of the Fest
Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Featuring Interviews with: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, Yoni’s ex-wife Tutti and girlfriend Bruria, Members of the elite Entebbe mission strike force, Sayeret Matkal
Narrator: Marton Csokas (The Debt)
Genre
Documentary
Web Site
Runtime
87
Language
English
Director
Jonathan Gruber
FEATURED REVIEW
Harvey S. Karten, Compuserve
Every so often a leader appears who is so brave and charismatic that his devotees say, “I may not like him, but I’ll follow him to hell.” This probing biopic of a true Israeli hero is convincing evidence that Yoni Netanyahu is this sort of man. Ari Daniel Pinchot and Jonathan Gruber’s documentary ...
Played at
Monica Film Center 6.22.12 - 6.28.12
Town Center 5 6.22.12 - 7.05.12
Playhouse 7 6.23.12 - 6.24.12
Claremont 5 6.23.12 - 6.24.12
Lumiere Music Hall 6.29.12 - 7.05.12
Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story Get Tickets
There are currently no showtimes for this film. Please check back soon.