haMisdar HaMisrad, the Israeli version of the BBC and NBC television series, The Office, came to New York City this week for the Other Israel Film Festival. Having just finished its first season on an Israeli cable station, YES, and prepping for its second season, the Israeli version stayed true to the first three episodes of the 2001 BBC series, and then made its own storyline path. Avi Meshulam is the Office Manager, a character made infamous by Ricky Gervais in the UK and Steve Carell in the US. The Office also has licensed shows in France, Russia, Germany, Chile, China, Brazil, and Canada.
The Israeli version of the show includes the office manager and a love interest between the receptionist and the good guy paper salesperson, but its exaggerated stereotypes include a Russian who speaks in cryptic half sentences, a gay Arab salesperson (the actor sometimes arrived late to the set due to checkpoint delays), an Ethiopian (the most normal of the office staff), a haredi Jewish woman who might be perpetually pregnant, a Romanian, and a gung-ho, super-patriotic assistant office manager (or actually, assistant TO the office manager) who says he served in an elite secret IDF unit. HaMisrad is set in the Scranton of Israel, the town of Yehud. Because it is on cable, the script can include material that is much more offensive and rude, yet funny.
Dvir Bendak’s Avi Meshulam character is played in the middle road between the Gervais and Carell office managers. He is not as mean and spiteful as Gervais’s David Brent, and he has the social neediness, vulberability, need to be funny and loved sick lovability of Carell’s Michael Scott. Avi carries the luggage of social rejection, and his perceived failure that comes from not being picked for a combat role in the Army.
The Other Israel film festival continues with more films, panels, and talkbacks this week in New York City. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Typo, first line, “haMisdar”.
thanks … you are correct. it should be hamisRad. i get my rad’s confused with my dars