Dir. Ruth Beckermann - 1990 - Austria

What became of the dream of the Jewish homeland? A still relevant documentary road movie shot along the highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Trucks, gas stations, construction workers, soldiers, Russian immigrants, taxi drivers, security guards: encounters along a 60 kilometer stretch of road bounded by diverse landscapes and personal histories. Everyday reality still echoes with the centuries old longing for Jerusalem, for which there is no real place to be found.

"The land which TOWARDS JERUSALEM presents is indeed one of great vitality, yet it has also been americanised far beyond the limits of kitsch, and furthermore is characterised by bitter poverty. The film-maker lets herself drift and is not determined to to have her prejudices confirmed; she decides to simply look around and listen out, regardless of what might happen: Ruth Beckermann’s open eyes are a sign of her love for the world." Stefan Grissemann, En face, in: europamemoria, 2003