Examining the Challenges of Growing Up and Becoming a Father, The Beetle follows an Israeli Man Struggling to Say Goodbye to His Beloved Volkswagen
Documentary to premiere on the Global Voices series, Sunday, July 4, at 10pm on the PBS WORLD channel
(San Francisco, CA) – With fatherhood quickly approaching, Israeli filmmaker Yishai Orian must wrestle with a decision: Should he keep his beloved 40-year-old Volkswagen Beetle or trade it in for something more reliable? His mechanic says that the car won’t last long, and his wife complains that it’s unsuitable for a baby. In an attempt to keep the Beetle that he adores, Orian goes on a journey that begins with visiting the car’s previous owners, continues to Jordan for discount renovations, and ends with the birth of his first child. The director’s personal story begins to blend with the exciting, funny, sad, and intimate memories of the Beetle’s previous owners as these individuals bond over their mutual love for the car. The Beetle will premiere nationally on PBS WORLD’s Global Voices, an international themed documentary series, on Sunday, July 4, at 10pm (check local listings). The program will be available for online streaming beginning Monday, July 5, on PBS Video (http://video.pbs.org/program/1478905970/).
About the Filmmaker
Yishai Orian graduated in 2005 from the Sam Spiegel Film and TV School in Israel. He has directed, written, and produced several short narrative and documentary films, including Happy Birthday Yemima, Fight Heritage, and Friends or Heaven. The Beetle is Orian's first feature.
About Global Voices
Global Voices is produced by ITVS International and began airing on the PBS WORLD digital channel on Sunday, April 26, 2009. This 26-week series brings internationally themed documentaries made by both U.S.-based and international filmmakers to a national audience. This season, the series will feature the U.S. premieres of six documentaries funded by ITVS International, as well as encore broadcasts of other acclaimed ITVS programs. In addition to the PBS WORLD broadcast, select episodes will be available online, post broadcast — via iTunes, Amazon, Netflix, and on PBS’s Video player through http://video.pbs.org. For the complete lineup and schedule, visit www.pbs.org/globalvoices/. For more information about PBS WORLD visit http://www.pbs.org/pbsworld/. More information about ITVS International is available online at http://www.itvs.org/international.
CONTACT: Krissy Bailey, ITVS, 415-356-8383, ext. 254, Krissy_bailey@itvs.org