King Bibi

This mesmerizing documentary tells the remarkable story of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rise to power as reflected through four decades of public appearances. It is a brilliant, one-of-a-kind journey into the heart and mind of Israel’s 9th and current Prime Minister. Relying solely on archival footage of his media appearances over the years, the film surveys his days as a popular guest expert on American TV through his position as Israel’s youngest Prime Minister, during which he ushered Israeli politics into the 21st century. Samples from hundreds of media appearances over four decades demonstrate Netanyahu’s disciplined, near-flawless execution of press and social media mastery, through which he introduced a quintessentially American method of campaigning to the Israeli public. King Bibi — which borrows its name from the 2012 Time magazine cover story — is a powerful work of history and a portrait of a nation as seen through the television appearances of its second-longest-serving prime minister. (Miami Jewish Film Festival)