Israeli Rap Musical Film 'Megashim High' Stars Amir Banai and Noam Kleinstein

A decade ago, the stage musical "Megashim High" captivated Israeli high school audiences with its sharp parody of American teen films, featuring archetypes like bullies, nerds, and the outcast. Directed by Amit Ulman and created by the team including Jimbo J and Itzik Patzati, the production gained cult status, especially among teens in the Tel Aviv area, with performances at Jerusalem's Incubator Theater. Since then, Jimbo J has become a pop star and Ulman a successful filmmaker, having adapted their earlier musical "This City" into a film.

The new film adaptation of "Megashim High," premiering tomorrow, shifts from parody to a more authentic Israeli tone. While the stage show relied on American teen movie clichés translated into Hebrew, the movie embraces a local flavor, stylized yet genuine, serving as an anthem for Israeli high school life. The original creators, now too old to play teenagers, faced the challenge of casting young actors for the film's lead roles, selecting Amir Banai (son of Orna Banai) and Noam Kleinstein (daughter of Rami Kleinstein).

Ulman's cinematic style is marked by a virtuoso use of rap and spoken word, packing roughly a thousand rhymed words per minute into the film's musical numbers, many with punchlines. "Megashim High" is considered one of Israel's best musicals, combining impressive audiovisual quality with a unique verbal flair. Ulman likens the film to an Israeli spoken-word version of "The Karate Kid," with himself playing a mentor figure, and the story culminating in rap battles that decide the high school hierarchy, replacing street violence with lyrical dueling.