The story of Margot Klausner’s true essence began during a trip to Palestine in 1926, when the young, wealthy German girl fell in love with Eretz Yisrael. Upon returning to her home in Berlin, where she was born and raised in luxury, she realized her heart no longer belonged there; it belonged to Eretz Yisrael. In her yearning for things connected with the Land she became involved with the Hebrew theater group, Habimah, which regularly came from Poland to Berlin in those years. In time, a close friendship developed between Margot and the manager of the theater group, Yehoshua Brandstatter.
Her cherished plan to take the Hebrew theater group Habimah to Eretz Yisrael was not greeted with enthusiasm by the actors. They preferred to stay in Europe. But Margot Klausner’s zeal echoed in Yehoshua’s soul and he became a steadfast supporter of her project. They proved to be a formidable team and, using some of her family money, they brought the theater troupe to Tel Aviv where, by now a married couple, they established the National Theater of Israel. They also served as part of its management for the first nine years. Simultaneously, Margot Klausner established and managed a theater in Palestine for German Jewry from 1936 to 1948.
The amazingly inventive Margot, together with her loyal partner, Yehoshua, established Urim, a film production company in 1933. In a country where movies were not yet known or appreciated, they foresaw the importance of films and undertook to produce them. Their first film, Land of Promise, appeared the same year, in cooperation with Keren Hayesod. One of the most important documentaries of the Zionist period, it won a prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1935.
Other Urim productions followed in the next few years:Avodah (1935). Tomorrow is a Wonderful Day (1947),and Out of Evil (1950).
In their sustained enthusiasm, Margot and Yehoshua invested all their personal resources in the building of the first film studio in Israel, known as the Israel Motion Picture Studios Herzliyyah Ltd. Ground was broken in 1949; the sound stage and film laboratory were opened in 1952; color services were added in 1969; and in the early 1970s satellite facilities were introduced. The first film to appear with the production credit of the new studios was the documentary produced in 1949.
From 1956 to 1958, Margot Klausner acquired Carmel Newsreels and, from that time until the demise of newsreels, the studios with the participation of her two children, Miriam and Amos, produced hundreds of weekly Carmel-Herzliyyah Newsreels.
In the 1960s, filmmaking in Israel becomes a bigger business, and the studios were involved in the production of many important Israeli films such as The Boy Across the Street, I Love You Rosa, The Policeman, Sallah, and Peeping Toms. In addition, they produced thousands of documentary films, TV productions and newsreels.
Margot Klausner lived up to her vision, “To draw the attention of the nations towards Israel through the aid of movies, an art which has such a great influence in the world and reaches into all countries.” Let’s hope that Margot Klausner’s love of Israel radiating through her productionsundoes all the harmful propaganda about Israel.
