King of Beasts

Tomer Almagor & Nadav Harel
USA 2018

»A work of admirable journalistic seriousness, one that goes about its business with a clear-eyed precision.«

The Hollywood Reporter

 

»Almagor and Harel are completely successful in presenting a subject with enough information that we can come to our own conclusions in the end.«

Film Threat

 

While the world amuses itself with cat videos on Facebook, Aaron has to fight off an angry mob that sees him as evil incarnate. When he reads an angry email calling him the scum of humanity, he is simply stunned. Sincerely stating his motives brings him close to tears. Aaron is an upstanding American citizen, somebody who believes in the values of the »land of the free«. He is a trophy hunter who acts out the dream of the archaic fight between man and beast in the wilderness of Tanzania. Tomer Almagor and Nadal Harel were allowed to accompany this man on an expedition to Africa, not an easy feat. Their portrait of this fully neocolonial enterprise is a brilliant cinematic mixture of Wes Anderson and »Apocalypse Now«, suggestive and visually overwhelming. After a few minutes we forget that we are watching a documentary. We experience breathlessly suspenseful hunting scenes, bizarre evenings at the campsite and are flabbergasted at the sight of white colonial masters being celebrated and loved by the black population. At the end we will find out who the real »King of Beasts« might be. And the world will not be the same after watching this film. If it’s going to be a better one is up to us.

 

»Things get confused out there.«

General Corman, Apocalypse Now

Producer
Gabrielle Almagor, Salmoné Berziner, Bryan Gambogi, Mark Steele
Cinematographer
Nadav Harel
Editor
Nadav Harel
Runtime/Version
86 min, OV
King of Beasts directors

Tomer Almagor & Nadav Harel

Born in Israel and based in LA, Almagor studied film in NY and followed the 2010s award-winning short »Spare« with the 2013 critically acclaimed feature debut »9 Full Moons«. The films of ex-Israeli soldier, Harel, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, have screened worldwide, including Berlin Film Festival and MOMA. Their first collaboration has been six years in the making.