Since its premiere in 2011, the television series Homeland has thrilled American audiences. The Showtime spy drama focuses on a rebellious C.I.A. agent and a P.O.W. who has returned to the United States -- and to the family left behind -- after 7 years spent in captivity.
But what if instead of one prisoner returning after 7 years, there were three prisoners returning after 17 years? This is the backdrop for Prisoners of War ( Hatufim in Hebrew), the Israeli dramatic series created, written, and directed by Gideon Raff, and on which Homeland is based. Novelist Stephen King named Prisoners of War to his list of best T.V. shows of 2012. While Homeland is certainly exciting, in my mind, it has never come close to the emotional resonance of the Israeli original, Prisoners of War. Hatufim, which translates in English to Kidnapped or Snatched, shows what happens when three prisoners of war who had been kidnapped 17 years earlier are returned in a prisoner exchange with Lebanon.
The more I learned about what happens to prisoners of war when they come back home, the more I realized that the first day home is not the happy ending that they all wish for but actually the beginning of a very hard journey to reintegrate into society, Raff said in an interview at KCET. The more I learned that very few people really do come back from captivity, I felt a sense of responsibility and I wanted to tell the story in a very personal way and thats why I wrote and directed every episode, he added.
--
--
What to Watch For
The first season explores the experiences of the three families and the soldiers as they all adjust to their new reality. When recently released prisoners Nimrode and Uri catch a glimpse of Israel from the air for the first time in 17 years, they can't help but marvel at how much the young country -- with its new skyscrapers and urban development -- looks like America. While Uri has a slower adjustment to the idea of being free to come and go as he chooses, Nimrod begins to assert his free status almost immediately, demanding of his army driver that he be permitted to drive back to his home. After some protest, the driver acquiesces, but once behind the wheel, Nimrod is at a loss: Where do you -- we -- live?
The reunion with family members uncovers intense, intricate, and deep layers of emotion in each family. Nimrod has to get to know his wife Talia all over again after 17 years apart, and he meets his sarcastic and hypersexual daughter, who -- in his absence -- has developed a tendency to hook up with men his age. Talia focused her entire existence on fighting for her husband's return, to the detriment of her own life and the lives of her children.
Nurit and Uri have their own source of tension: Nurit married Uri's brother while he was imprisoned. The Israeli newspapers called Nurit a betrayer of the nation, while Talia had remained faithful to her husband.
Who do you believe when everyone seems suspicious?
One of the things that makes watching Prisoners of War so addictive is the vast array of characters and their ever-shifting motives and alliances. Raff only gives the viewer bits of information about each character, but not enough for us to know as much as the characters do -- a prisoner may have been turned during their captivity, or a family member may be hiding resentment or anger. Even the Israeli government that freed the prisoners seems to emerge as an antagonist, concerned with state security more than with the psychological well-being of the returned prisoners. It's as if every episode of Prisoners of War is asking us: who do you believe when everyone seems suspicious?
Cultures of Terrorism
Fifteen years after 9/11 and toward the end of the most unusual Presidential race in history, there is a shift in parts of America from optimism and the idea that we are the most powerful and ethical nation in the world to a more pessimistic, distrustful reality marked by moral grey areas, justified by American leaderships rooting out of evildoers who had attacked us on our home soil. The creation of the department of Homeland Security, the ever-increasing security measures, especially at airports, and the increased police presence in high-risk target areas has underscored the awareness that we are not as safe as we had thought.
In contrast, the modern state of Israel -- despite a history much shorter than America's -- has been dealing with the threat of terrorism and attack since its founding and even before. Israelis never really had the luxury of believing that they were completely safe. The terror attacks that happened during the last 15 years or so, during and after the second Intifada, have happened not to uniformed military personnel, but to Israelis who were going about their lives at cafes, bars, restaurants, on buses and on city streets. In some ways, Americans have never been better positioned to understand this kind of uncertainty and suspicion.
Only half of one percent of Americans serves in the army. But in Israel, army service, or some kind of substitute national service, is required for all adults over 18. This means that Israeli citizens are intimately connected with army service, and (with a few exceptions) every family has a stake in the fate of a single captured soldier: he or she could be anyone's relative, and usually is.
Watch a preview of Prisoners of War
Real-Life Inspiration
More from Prisoners of War
Meet the Key Characters of the New Drama Prisoners of War
Interview: Gideon Raff on the Making of Prisoners of War
While Raff was writing Prisoners of War, the state of Israel was fixated on three missing soldiers: Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit. In the streets of Israeli cities, banners flew from apartment windows and in front of businesses, urging vigilance and action on beh
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Since its premiere in 2011, the television series Homeland has thrilled American audiences. The Showtime spy drama focuses on a rebellious C.I.A. agent and a P.O.W. who has returned to the United States -- and to the family left behind -- after 7 years spent in captivity.
