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If Israel conjures a visual image as an arid nation dotted by the occasional Western-style city and scores of centuries-old ruins, ISRAEL BEYOND THE HORIZON: A JOURNEY FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH will change that perception forever. This 38-minute special, beautifully photographed by helicopter, also features an energetic New Age-style soundtrack by Israel Bright. The music serves as a backdrop to scenes of wild horses traversing the savanna, canyons rivaling those of the American Southwest, and verdant patchworks of farmland.
Divided into eight segments, ISRAEL BEYOND THE HORIZON: A JOURNEY FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH, opens with “Desert Bronze.” This segment exhibits natural wonders such as King Solomon’s Pillars, with its tall and sturdy natural rock towers that seem somehow fittingly named after the legendary monarch. Also featured is a quick look at the Mar Saba and St. George monasteries, religious retreats that appear to have been carved into the interior walls of ancient mountains.
The second section, “White Views,” presents another facet of the Israeli jewel.
The Caesarea Roman aqueduct stretches across the coastline, a sentinel of a bygone era. The Jordan Estuary at the Sea of Galilee features birds skipping across the water as well as tourists on boat excursions. Mt. Hermon and Rosh Hanrika are snow- and ice-covered regions that seem impossibly situated in the Middle East.
“City of Gold,” a visit to Jerusalem in all its glory, is the third part. Fabulous looks at David’s Citadel, the Church of Mary Magdalene, Absalom’s Tomb and The Western Wall are juxtaposed with modern visions of The Knesset, Supreme Court, and City Center buildings.
In the fourth section, “The Silver Rush,” there are sights of mind-boggling traffic patterns in Tel Aviv and the Ayalon Highway that would make a Los Angeles resident feel at home. The Tel Aviv coast, the Panorama Towers at Haifa, and the King Solomon Hotel in Eilat are also reminders of the Western influence in Israel.
Segment five, entitled “Heavy Metal,” provides a surreal look at industrial activities including mineral excavations. Machines at the Dead Sea Works, Ashdod Port and Eilat look like robot-dinosaurs digging, scouring and dredging the land.
“All That Green,” the sixth of eight parts, highlights the agriculture of Israel with farm machinery at work in the fields of the nation’s bread basket. Beit Shean Valley and Jezre’el Valley could be scenes from Iowa. Even the Golan Heights, so often at the center of controversy, seem serene as cattle race across the grass.
The penultimate section, “Human Hues,” features a peek at Israeli leisure activities. Giant hot-air balloons survey the horizon while scores of participants seek glory in the Dead Sea Marathon and the Eilat Triathlon. A perfect companion piece to the segment is the spiritually and emotionally uplifting vocals of Sharon Haziz.
The eighth and final segment, “Shades of Blue,” uses visually diverse shots of the Dead Sea that appear other-worldly yet undeniably beautiful. The segment closes with glimpses of Pigeon Island, Hadera Forest and thunderous waves crashing into the walls at Caesarea.
ISRAEL BEYOND THE HORIZON: A JOURNEY FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH is a joint project of Albatross Aerial Photography and Danor Productions Ltd., presented exclusively in the United States by WLIW New York.
Director/Editor: Yair Tamir. Narration writer: Sam Toperoff.
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