Film Forum

PRIVATE BENJAMIN meets M*A*S*H, speaks Hebrew, and keeps kosher. Set in a remote desert military base, a platoon of young women soldiers, all Israeli conscripts, serve out their time playing computer games, singing pop songs, and conspiring to get transferred to Tel Aviv -- while endlessly serving coffee to the men who run the show. Here’s an Israeli film filled with funny, quick-witted, zany women who wield their staple guns like automatic weaponry. If there is a war going on, it’s one against boredom, bad uniforms, dopey rules, and doing everything in triplicate. Debut filmmaker Talya Lavie is Israel’s answer to Lena Dunham: ZERO MOTIVATION has had rave reviews and huge audiences. Winner of the top prize for narrative world cinema at the Tribeca Film Festival.

With support from the Joan S. Constantiner Fund for Jewish and Holocaust Film

ISRAEL • 2014 • 101 MINS. • IN HEBREW WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES • ZEITGEIST FILMS 

Reviews

“Acidic, apolitical and broadly funny (think, but with a Hebrew-speaking Aubrey Plaza playing all of the lead roles).” 
– Time Out New York

“Biting comedy. Something more than a piercing army/office comedy. (The film) opens as bleak, rebellious comedy but grows into a smart and moving story of entering adulthood. A strong and empathetic ensemble comedy.”
– Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice

“The Best (Israeli Army) (Apolitical) (Noncombat) (Black) Comedy of the Year! ZERO MOTIVATION subverts. (A) gem of a debut film. A touch surreal. Quite possibly…one of the funniest movies you’ll see this year. Genuinely new and exciting.”
– Amos Barshad, Grantland

“Very, very funny. A little bit of ‘Sergeant Bilko,” but a lot of CATCH-22 and M*A*S*H.”
>– George Robinson, The Jewish Week

“A unique, sharply observed and hilarious look at the monotonies of enlistment, the ridiculousness of subordination and chain of command concepts, and the utter boredom of carrying out meaningless orders... An absorbing office saga and diverting dark comedy, ZERO MOTIVATION is a surprisingly insightful coming-of-age tale... Perhaps most significantly, (it’s)  the discovery of an exciting new original voice in cinema, who happens to be really funny, intelligent and female. We can’t wait for more.” 
– Rodrigo Perez, THE PLAYLIST, INDIEWIRE

Present your ZERO MOTIVATION ticket stub(s) at these restaurants.

12 CHAIRS
56 MacDougal St. (2 blocks from Film Forum)
http://www.12chairscafe.com
1 free appetizer for every two tickets shown
with a purchase of a drink and an entrée.

ZIZI LIMONA
129 Havermeyer St. (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
http://www.zizilimona.com
Free appetizer per table