We had two very good shooting days.  We are following John's "stations" from the army to the mental institution where I found him and brought him back to the USA.  The eight years that went by caused a lot of changes in the locations, yet, John's memories are so strong and vivid that he can re-create the past including faces, changes in locations and more.He was sent from the army after a short trial.  The army didn't recognize his mental condition, and claimed that his mental confusion was caused by the drugs he used during his AWAL. 

Scared of the Israeli Intelligence who according to his fears were chasing him because while in prison he "snitched" on some people, John took the 40 Israeli shekels (about $10) given to him by someone, and paid his way to Jerusalem.   The army sent him to a rehab without giving him money, or even a note.  He decided not to go there.  He was running for his life.  He was wearing the same clothes he brought with him when he turned himself in at the end of his AWAL.  Someone in the army prison suggested that he go to the Wailing Wall and pray. We took John to the Wailing Wall and he followed his "past" journey. He bent down touching the Wailing Wall, and remembered telling "God" that if he'll save him from the people chasing him, which he saw all around him, he'll follow God's commandments including not driving on Saturday and eating Kosher.

From now on he did everything running.  He was running in the streets of the Jewish quarter.  We followed him to the free hostel he stayed in.  The guard enable us to film inside while he was sitting at the door studying Talmud.We follow John's his reactions, recording his recollections.  He went to the Yeshiva (religious seminary) , "The Fire of the Torah".   I called ahead of time and Moredehi, a Torah scholar from South African brought us in.  "I wish my father would do a film about me" he told me.  He insisted that we won't make noise and disturb the young scholars in the main room.  We enter a small class where John remembered sitting and studying on his first day there.  I asked John to tell Mordechi, his story.  He first refused but ended up telling his prison story and the reason for coming to the place.

Eran Preis