Filmmaker Jack Baxter hired American-Israeli filmmaker Joshua Faudem to help document the mood at Mike's Place, a bar that served as an oasis from politics in Tel Aviv.
When you watch Blues by the Beach trailer and film, you'll get to know the staff at Mike's Place, along with their regulars. Each has a unique story and a different background; patrons are from all over the globe. They're brought together by a desire to celebrate these differences, and to celebrate despite the on-going conflict in the region. When the conflict strikes at the bar's entrance, the cameras capture the reactions and the immediate aftermath. What results is a very moving and very honest account of suicide bombings, and their effect on everyday people.
The media portray the same visual of the Middle East: a dangerous place, where terrorists detonate bombs and people live their lives in constant fear. This documentary about Israel provides a new angle. Viewers are invited to Mike's Place, which is a typical bar that could be in any country. People are eating together, drinking with friends and dancing to live music. What's interesting to note is the mixture of people: there are students enjoying the live blues music, Israelis drinking alongside Arabs, and so on. Director Joshua Faudem filmed the scene with the objective of capturing this harmony on camera, to prove that Israel is much more than just stories about terrorism on the news.
This documentary about Israel is a must-see. It provides a shaking reality of how terrorism affects normal people. On BluesByTheBeachFilm.com website, you can buy the special new edition 2 disc DVD at CreateSpace and Amazon.com, and Download the film at EZTakes.
