A Man Made Tale explores the intricate relationships within the Yatir Forest’s ecosystem, serving as a political metaphor for Zionist presence in the landscape. The Yatir Forest, Israel’s largest man-made forest, spans 40,000 dunams and contains about a million trees. Planted in the early 1960s, it requires ongoing reforestation due to insufficient rainfall.

The film documents the forest through different seasons and human activities, such as shepherds grazing, researchers from the Weizmann Institute, and Jewish National Fund foresters. It captures a sense of disorientation within the forest, revealing a path to the desert only at the end. 

Collaborating with photographer Rani Moncaz and sound artist Gai Sherf, who created an original soundtrack with unique instruments, the film showcases the forest’s sounds and sights. 

Screening in the presence of the creators