Israel Inside

Although many documentaries about Israel emphasize strife with neighbors and internal divisions, filmmaker Wayne Kopping's Israel Inside is a more upbeat portrait, narrated by Tal Ben-Shahar, an Israeli-born scholar raised in the U.S. As a Harvard professor, Ben-Shahar taught what was once the university's most popular course, “Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness.” Returning to his homeland, Ben-Shahar puts his teachings into practice, presenting here a portrait of Israel as a caring, progressive society and center of technological innovation. Ben-Shahar illustrates what he terms six “actualizers”—elements that explain the nation's vibrancy—such as “family” (the sense that the populace acts like a mutually supportive community), which is linked to a strong inclination to volunteerism and “tikkun olam” (i.e., a duty to better the world). Ben-Shahar also looks at the society's emphasis on education, the Jewish drive to turn adversity to advantage, and “chutzpah”—a simple unwillingness to take no for an answer. The combination of these factors, he argues, explains why Israel is such a bustling community of achievers and innovators. Featuring many interviews and examples of entrepreneurial spirit and scientific accomplishment, Israel Inside presents an antidote to the darker depictions of many documentaries, although one could say that it is as equally and relentlessly one-sided. DVD extras include bonus interviews. Recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)