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Album 61

The documentary film by Chil Efrat tells the story of Boris Gelfand, the first Israeli to participate in the World Chess Championship. To this day, only 16 individuals have achieved the title of World Chess Champion. Boris Gelfand, originally from Rishon LeZion, was the first Israeli to compete for this title. Throughout his life, Boris prepared for this position, growing up with the ambition to be a champion since the age of 6. His father devoted most of his time to nurturing his son's chess skills, providing him with an ambitious and demanding daily schedule. He obsessively documented every event in the child's life. The film depicts a mental battle between two of the strongest minds in the world, but it also explores the parental choice and the dilemma of whether to choose and guide a child towards self-fulfillment or to be a forgiving and lenient liberal. Chil Efrat, a mediocre chess player, embarks on a journey following the fascinating character of Boris Gelfand, raising the question of whether each of our children can become a genius with a little good Soviet education.

״Album 61״ participated in a selection of international festivals.

"'Album 61,' Hillel Rate's film about chess player Boris Gelfand, is a documentary masterpiece, the kind that doesn't sanctify victory or defeat but reveals the small human story between the big moments," Alkana Shor, Maariv, 2013.