Sky Raiders

13-year-old Yotam is obsessed with flying, but his overprotective mother won’t let him anywhere near planes. When Yotam and his classmate Noa find a rare antique plane in the local junkyard, they team up with Morris, an 80-year-old grumpy loner who used to be a pilot. Together they try to bring the plane back to life, just in time for the Annual Air Show. 

Yotam and Noa, the heroes, set out to fulfil their incredible dream against all odds: technical difficulties; school responsibilities; the objection of their parents and even teenage love. 

Sky raiders raises important issues that are relevant for youth and grownups alike. It encourages and empowers children to fulfill their dreams with persistence. 

Lior Chefetz, screenwriter and directot writes about the making of the film and what inspired him to make it: 

"In my childhood the only screen in the house belonged to our black and white TV and the truly interesting things happened outside. In the weekends me and my father would go out riding on our bikes and one of our favorite destinations was a small airport in Herzeliya; we would stand in front of the iron gate and watch the small planes take off and land. When I was big enough to go on my own, I found in a nearby field amongst the tall dry grass the wreck of an old torpedo bomber. I loved to climb into the rusty cockpit, hold the control stick and imagine I am a pilot on daring missions. 

My mom recognized my passion for planes and adventure stories, and for my seventh birthday gave me a book “Adventure in the Squadron” by Oded Marom, former commander of a squadron. The story of two children who bring the wreck of an old plane back to life with the help of a veteran pilot remained with me to the day I became a film director. After more than 25, years when I finished film school, I decided to write a script inspired by the book combined with my childhood memories.  

I grew up on the films and Tv series of the 80s: Karate Kid, The Goonies, the A – Team, Iron Eagle and Airwolf. These are unrealistic action films with a huge soul that remain sketched in the heart of a child forever. The story combines on the one hand the world of flying: a symbolic image of dream fulfillment, braking boundaries and an expression of ultimate freedom and on the other hand the personal journey of the heroes, the challenges and struggles of their adolescence.  

It was important for me to make a film for the whole family, that will address in different ways a wide audience: children, their parents and their grandparents. Two 13 year-olds are the heroes of the story, Yotam and Noa – their dream is to become pilots. Presenting the story from their viewpoint, the heroes of the story, as they do things only grownups can do in reality, empowers the young audience and presents values such as taking initiative, resourcefulness, persistence and coping with hardships. And it doesn’t matter if you are a girl or a boy – everyone can fulfill their dreams if they dare to and persist. 

The parents who accompany their children can identify with the characters of the parents in the film: Yotam’s mother who tries to protect her son, and is sometimes overprotective; Noa’s father, that does not understand that his girl has grownup and that she has aspirations which are different from those he has for her.   

The elderly generation is represented by Morris the 78 years old loner. it seems he no longer has a role in society and that he is a “relic” of an Israeli state that now longer exists, but we find out that he is a resourceful source of knowledge and support to Yotam and Noa, without him they will not be able to fulfil their dream.” 

Sky Raiders  is Lior Cheftz  debut full length feature film. His short films have been screened in over 40 international film festivals and won multiple awards, including "Best Director" in Shanghai, "Audience Award" in Beijing, "Best Film" in Method fest, Geneva, and Denver, to name a few. Lior's education includes a BA in Design from Bezalel Academy Jerusalem, and an MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. " 

Web: http://www.ucm-film.com/