'Til Kingdom Come (2020)
Origin: Israel / UK / Norway | Documentary | Director: Maya Zinshtein | 76 minutes
This revelatory examination of the controversial links between U.S. evangelical Christians and Israeli Jews begins in a poor mining town in Kentucky. After shooting practice, a young pastor encourages the faithful to go collecting for the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, the biggest charitable organization in Israel.
What initially looks like an anomaly turns out to be part of a broad movement. Conservative American evangelists, who form a major electoral block for Trump, collect hundreds of millions of dollars for Israel each year. What’s even more significant is the political influence, all of it rooted in an unshakeable belief in the return of the Messiah—in Israel.
Maya Zinshtein brings together major events and encounters in America and Israel to form a wide-ranging panorama interspersed with interviews. From passionate prayer meetings, to the indoctrination of children, to evangelicals and Israeli colonists lobbying in Washington, to Palestinian protests. It sheds unexpected light on Trump’s controversial support for Netanyahu, through acts such as moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
https://www.idfa.nl/en/film/c0e65192-b1a9-4fbe-b380-c74002cee909/til-kingdom-come
Review by Gideon Levy in Haaretz:
"The movie by the Emmy-winning filmmaker Maya Zinshtein, “'Til Kingdom Come,” looks at the boorish Israel-lovers, American Evangelical Christians. Instead of a bag of popcorn, a barf bag would have come in handy.
If these are Israel’s friends, it has no need for enemies. If this is the coalition that is supposed to support Israel, it would be better off without support. Millions of primitive, ignorant, devout fundamentalists who are led like sheep by equally ignorant charlatan pastors, would not bode well for any country. The fact that they’re awaiting Armageddon in which the Jews will either be destroyed or convert to Christianity only adds another bizarre dimension to this twisted love story, a tale of love and great darkness. The connection with their Jewish counterparts – the settlers and the Jewish organizations that plead for donations – makes the picture even bleaker. Watch the movie and see us. Tell us who our friends are and we’ll know who we are.
Read on: https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium.highlight-get-out-the-barf-bags-for-new-documentary-till-kingdom-come-1.9270514 (premium content)
Filmmaker’s Biography
Maya Zinshtein is an Emmy Award-winning Israeli documentary filmmaker and journalist. Among numerous prestigious awards, Zinshtein was named Best Director at the 2016 Jerusalem Film Festival for her acclaimed documentary FOREVER PURE, which later went on to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Politics & Government documentary in 2018 (Independent Lens/PBS). For the last ten years she has directed and produced documentaries broadcast on Israeli TV and abroad including by Netflix, BBC, ARTE/ZDF, and PBS, and screened at over 100 festivals around the world. An alumna of Sundance Institute, she teaches at Sam Spiegel film school in Jerusalem and serves on the jury of Israeli and International film festivals.
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