Jan 22, 2006

A speech, held by Nimrod Kamer, at the Tzavta hall at the Directors Union forum to go on strike against "Hot", 13.1.2006

Dear Friends,

My name is Nimrod Kamer and I am 24 years old.

I am actually the youngest member of the board of directors, and also the youngest speaker here today.

In these days I am directing an horror
movie, along side with my friends and colleagues, under the independent body that we have founded named “Avriri Cinema”.

Up ‘til one year ago I was a film student in the Jerusalem, and can not think of a less profitable period of my life..

Not only that I had to spend a fortune on my films, I also had no possession on them, as they were the sole property of the school.

I thought, very naively so, that it is natural, that as a student I have no rights on my works, and that after school things would obviously change.

Apparently I was wrong.

Yesterday I decided to disengage from my “Hot”* account. Eager enough to do so I dialed asterisk 6900 and began to wait. 80 nis** I used to pay “Hot” every month, only for my internet account, and today I am no longer willing to pay them even this small amount. Still, after not being able to get any answer from the “Hot” customer hot-line I am still a paying member, for the sole reason of not being able to get them on the phone.

During that hanging period, waiting for the operator, I understood the meaning of some of the power held by the cable companies. Also, I understood that by waiting for “Hot” for forever we will not achieve any of our goals.

The ultimatum, about to presented to you by my friend Amit Lior, in the end of today’s assembly, is the way to divert the clock in our favor. From now on we can be the ones holding the stopper watches, dictating the disengagement schedules. We must be stubborn and tough enough ‘til the very submission of this conglomerate.

We will strike, bite, convince and change this reality. We will protest and get arrested. We shell demand our rightful rights.

This Union will no longer be a depressing and an asexual institute. Today, with your help, the union changes it’s face.

Thank You.


* ”Hot” is Israel’s leading cable TV company.
** ”NIS” is the Israeli currency.

This speech was held at the “Tzavta” hall in Tel Aviv, Israel, at the Writers and Directors Union forum to go on strike against “Hot”, 13.1.2006.

details on Nimrod Kamer from english wikipedia

Nimrod Kamer, (נמרוד קמר, also known as nnimrodd, born 23 December 1981), is an Israeli artist, film director, film teacher and journalist.
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Early Life
Kamer was born in the Israeli city of Petah Tiqwa. His father (an architect), mother (a veteran ground steward) and other members of the Kamer family had immigrated from Romania in the late 1960s and settled in Petah Tiqwa.
In 1988 Nimrod joined the local elementary school production of "Salomon". In 1993 the Kamer family decided to move to the city of Tel Aviv, as Nimrod was getting more and more involved in the local culture and cinematic scene in spite of his young age. Back in those days he recieved several nicknames from freinds, such as Nimi, Shimi, and Shimshon, yet none of those stuck by him over the years.

Israeli Army
In the Israeli Army (2000-2003) Kamer was released as a first-sergeant and was well known across the army for the letter he sent to the Ramatcal (Chief of staff) of the IDF, informing him of his concerns of future earthquakes in the Golan Heights (where Kamer's base was at) and from active geysers in the area. The letter was spread throughout the IDF and is considered to be the first ever spam email message sent over 'Tsahal-Net' (The IDF internal network).

The Move to Jerusalem
After his Army period, in February 2003, Kamer moved to live in the city of Jerusalem, to learn philosophy in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His studies there ended in a disciplinary hearing committee where he was charged with conducting an unauthorized photo exhibition in the campus main hall.

RAW
On may 2003, with friend Ariel Lindauer Kamer founded, in Jersualem, the squat-party-line of RAW (also known as 'Friday Night Raw'), making history by holding the first ever rave underneath the holy city of Jersualem on july 2nd, 2004.

Film Student
In October 2004, Kamer began to study cinema at the Sam Spiegel Jerusalem Film School. After one year he decided to drop school and to pursue a filmmaker career independently. In his last day of school he handed out the institutes's principals a document called the "Avriri Manifesto"; a set of twelve cinematic arguments and agenda (/or dogma), designed to change the nature of film making. The first sentence on the list was: "An Avriri film is a social event. A flyer is no less important, by Principal, then a production, or then the film itself...".

Back to Tel Aviv
In the winter of 2005 Kamer returned to the Tel Avivian cultural scene, and joined The Free Academy Israel, aligning himself with the performer artist Kiki and several other film figures such as Ari Libsker and Joshua Simon. Under The Free Academy they publish and co-edit "Maayan" - A magazine of poetry and ideas, and Maarvon - the only film magazine in Israel, destined to "Change the face of Israeli Cinema" (from Maarvon introduction, Issue #1), and not only to explore it. Kamer is the coordinator and vice-editor of Maarvon.

Berlin
In Berlin, where he spent August and September of 2004, he opened his first official website from his dormitories in the squat house in Friedrichshain. Kamer once claimed that his website is the most frequently updated website in Israel Today. After spending one more month in berlin (and Poland) he creates, along side his friend and colleague Yoav Tal, the short contemporary documentary video My Neo-Nazi Friend and return to Israel.

Television Actor & Film Director
Kamer featured in the youth television show "EXIT" on Israel's channel 3. After two months of playing the role of Yuval Zuker philosophical side-kick he left the show under disputed grounds.
As a director/cinematographer Kamer created several short films. His first project after school was the the award winning film Beautiful Tamar (April 2005). The film showed the influence of Fran?ois Truffaut's film Jules et Jim (1962) on the artist, as some regarded the film as a pure example of simulacrum. Kamer won the Max Shtern prize for short Israeli Cinema. Kamer 2nd film after school was Ilan The Security Guard (october 2005), That film was a mockumentary, on Ilan, A lonely student in the city of Jerusalem, that impersonates to be a public bus security guard in order to feel a genuine part of modern Israeli society.

The Sudoku Period
After spending another month abroad, in Switzerland, on june 2005, Kamer returned to Israel to become the so called "first ever Israeli teacher of Sudoku". Kamer called himself "Captain Sudoku", claiming that more and more people have started to salute him in the streets. To Maariv daily newspaper, he said, "Sudoku or sex? Sudoku".

Today
Along with his other activities, Kamer is also a member of the board of directors of Israel's Film and Television Directors Guild and works as A film teacher in an Herzliya Junior High School.

External links
Nimrod Kamer homepage
Avriri Cinema homepage
A speech, held by Nimrod Kamer, at the Tzavta hall at the Directors Union forum to go on strike against “Hot”, 13.1.2006
A Collection of Nimrod Kamer's Film & Videos from Google Video
Website of the film Ilan The Security Guard
Maayan Magazine - of Poetry and Ideas
The story about Captain Sudoku from the French newspaper of Le Temps


Categories: Israeli film directors Israeli people Television actors