• culture

• Podcast

When Bibi made him cry and when Trump made Ilana Dayan pale: Gilad Tokatli concludes 27 years in "Fact"

The trauma of murdering his father in the attack, the meeting with Trump that caused Ilana Dayan to change colors, and that reaction of Bibi.

After 27 years in which he was responsible for some of the most watched and remembered TV moments on our screens.

Gilad Tuktali said goodbye to the chair of the director of "Fact" in a special concluding conversation

Tags

• Gled Tuktali

• a fact

• Ilana Dayan

• Ronny Coban

• Donald Trump

• Barack Obama

• Benjamin Netanyahu

Nir Yahav and Avner Shavit

Thursday, 29 October 2020, 00:56

• Share on Facebook

• Share on WhatsApp

• Share on general

• Share on general

• Share on Twitter

• Share on Email

0 comments

After 27 years and 687 articles, Gilad Tokatli left his position last week as the chief director of "Fact" - a period in which he was a partner in some of the most watched and remembered TV moments that have been here for just over the last half-century.

On the occasion of the end of this period, he came to be a guest on the Walla!

Culture (feel free to listen to it up here).

When Tokatli is asked what article he is most proud of, he points to an article that aired in the last year of these 27 years: the article by Roni Koben and Shalev about Michal Sala, who was murdered by her partner Eliran Malul after a long period of physical and mental violence.

"I'm often asked if an article can really change - so here it is, an article that did it," says Tuktali.

"Lily Ben Ami, Michal's sister, sends me daily messages from women who have cut off a toxic relationship thanks to the article. She lit red lights for them and led them to leave the house before it was too late. In that sense, we live."

Beyond the articles themselves, one of the most famous and chilling moments in the history of fact was a response to one of them.

This is, of course, the Netanyahu bureau's long and harsh response to an article about his bureau, which opened a new season of fact in November 2016. "It was a cool evening in November," Tuktali recalled.

"Ilana stood in the set that was illuminated for Talpiot, because we brought a truck with beautiful headlights. I told photographer Ronen where we made a slow camera movement, so that on the one hand we do not draw attention from the text, and on the other hand still something aesthetic. I sat on the floor, covered my head with black cloth and watched On the monitor how Ilana reads this response, which is a landmark in the history of this place - and I started to cry. I could afford it, because I was not on camera, but just checked that everything works properly. I cried for this country. It was a terrible moment, a very sad moment In the history of Israel, I knew it would resonate wherever possible. "

More on Walla!

NEWS

"Netanyahu is looking for blood and is fighting to destroy the country. He needs treatment in a closed institution."

To the full article

"It was a terrible moment. A very sad moment in the history of Israel."

Gilad Tokatli (Photo: Reuven Castro)

"A year after the attack, we did an article about Hamas members in Nablus. I did not go into the depths of the faction we were going to meet, and only when we were there did I realize that they were the ones who sent the terrorist who murdered my father."

During his time at the fact, Tuktali experienced a personal tragedy that had professional consequences - in 2002, his father Pinchas was killed in a terrorist attack in Jerusalem.

"Since that day, I have had a personal problem with people whose whole essence is evil. I have a great reluctance from people that evil is a significant component in who they are, and I am not able to be with them in the same space," he says.

"A year after the attack, we did an article about Hamas members in Nablus. I did not go into the depths of the faction we were going to meet, and only when we were there did I realize that it was those who sent the terrorist who murdered my father. It was a bad thing."

Three months after the murder, they called Tuktali from the Australian equivalent of "Fact" and asked him with lip service to be interviewed for a film about the period of the terrorist attacks in Israel.

He agreed, was interviewed for an hour, and then received a videotape that he has not shown since to anyone in his family.

"It became clear to me that we were not only interviewing me, but also the terrorist's brother, and we are doing a rich-rich between us," Tuktali recalled.

"I do not know of his existence, but he knows of my existence and my texts are quoted to him, when for dessert he says there is no difference between us, because he has lost his sister and I my father. I have learned an important lesson that accompanies me ever since: when we interview someone for 'fact', he "He entrusts us with the most important story in our lives, and everything is so fragile and dangerous that we must act transparently and respect those who have trusted us."

It's time to spread your wings.

Gilad Tokatli (Photo: Reuven Castro)

During his years at the fact, Tuktali had the privilege of meeting two American presidents - one before entering the White House, and one afterwards.

"We interviewed Trump long before he was president," Tuktali recalls.

"That was twenty-four years ago, and we met at the Trump Towers in New York. We closed in advance for 45 minutes, but when he came in, he said to Ilana, 'Mrs. Dayan, start, because you're wasting my time. You have five minutes.'

Ilana and I whitened.

Both because we were kids then, and also because we flew to New York especially at the expense of Teled just for this interview.

Ilana changed colors, and Trump continues to stress and says 'you wasted thirty seconds'.

He sat down, I started filming, and in the end he sat with us for 47 minutes.

The interview was just fine.

This is the man's way.

He's a fascinating personality. "

Obama was met in completely different circumstances when he was president." He's the complete opposite of Trump, "Tokatli says." He's an amazing man, with qualities only the Hollywood stars I've met have.

They go with the aura around them, and he has the same aura. "

Together with Dayan, Tuktali makes up one of the longest-running TV relationships the local industry has known recently." I did not know her when we were first married, "he says." She combines memory, knowledge and a lot Compassion in an amazing way.

More importantly: a lot of people are blinded by the camera, the lighting and especially by the audience that recognizes them everywhere.

There is something very blinding in this profession, which really changes people's DNA.

For Ilana, nothing has changed in her personality.

She remained a human being, and of course she is also a wonderful journalist, who does not give up. "

"Trump has qualities that only Hollywood stars have."

Gilad Tokatli (Photo: Reuven Castro)

Of course, it is impossible to talk to a documentary filmmaker like Tuktali without referring to the sequel to "Borat" which has just come out, and moves on the boundaries between journalistic investigation, docu and Yehuda Barkan-style thriller.

"Given the troll of the world and of the United States in particular, I can only salute Sasha Baron-Cohen for what he did to Rudy Giuliani," he says.

"It's amazing. It brings back to reality the tools that reality deserves."

And also: which article shelved the "fact" system, and why?

On what occasions did Tuktali find himself in life-threatening condition?

What is the whip he is most proud of?

How does he look in retrospect at the controversial investigation about Meir Cohen, and at the ruling regarding the article about Captain R.?

Why is he actually leaving, how will they get along without him in fact, and what are his future projects?

Leaving the "fact", continues to create.

Gilad Tokatli (Photo: Reuven Castro)

An integral part of the history of the Israeli media.

Gilad Tokatli (Photo: Reuven Castro)

Graduate of Sam Spiegel's first class.

Gilad Tokatli (Photo: Reuven Castro)

• Share on Facebook

• Share on WhatsApp

• Share on general

• Share on general

• Share on Twitter

• Share on Email

0 comments