Kosher Without a Head (1963)

Overview

This cruel yet poetic experimental documentary examines the poetics of cruelty, as it describes the routine operation of a poultry slaughterhouse. The movie draws a comparison between the chickens and the other, the different, as it depicts the butchers and their cruelty. Although the movie is influenced by documentary classic Blood of the Beasts (1949) by Georges Franju, it differs in being devoid of any narration or text. The film also focuses on the cinematic form – color, editing and composition – as never before seen in Israel.