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Borderlines

Screenwriters:

Dikla Barkai

Producer/s

Dikla Barkai

,

Abot Hameiri Barkai

Language:

Hebrew, Arabic, English, Russian

Format:

8 Episodes x 45 Minutes

Genre

Drama, Action

LOGLINE

4 soldiers—3 men and a woman—face the impossible surrealism of the Gaza war.

SYNOPSIS

Four soldiers enter the war in Gaza—and the war enters their souls, changing them irreversibly. One will lose his faith, one will lose his life, one will lose her way only to find it again, and the one who entered lost and shattered will find a ray of light within the darkness. In a war zone so close to home, as they shuttle between the battlefield and their homes, the two realities blur until neither feels real.

A Jewish legend tells of four rabbis who entered an orchard, a metaphor for delving into Kabbalah's deepest mysteries—one died upon entry, one lost his mind, one abandoned his faith, and one emerged wiser and stronger.

Borderlines mirrors this ancient tale, following the four protagonists through the chaotic days of war. Creator Amir Lin enlisted in his 40s, endured profound trauma in Gaza, and witnessed his family back home, disintegrate during the war. From that devastation, Borderlines was born—a different kind of war story, where mundane pains and surreal moments collide.

WRITER'S STATEMENT

Amir – one of the creators – saw his life falling apart during the Gaza war following October 7th. The series draws inspiration from his experiences. He served roughly 120 days in reserve duty, returning again and again despite mounting personal costs.
Borderlines wants to capture something elusive about life in the midst of war. Something primarily mental: Not trauma in the classical sense, but rather a general eclipse - a loss of faith in the normal, the normative, the institutional, and a turn toward the intuitive and non-routine.
The series creates a tone simultaneously hyper-realistic and raw, yet touched with surrealism. A world where the psyche of our characters is reflected in reality and vice versa. The constant sensation is one of blurred lines between consciousness and reality.
We express this through constant mixing of worlds: real combat in ambushes blended with the protagonist's son's Minecraft battles, where he suffers virtual bullying. The domestic world finds its way into Gaza's heart: a vision of a Bat Mitzvah girl sitting amid wedding hall ruins.
The aesthetic trades gray urban combat grit for the hyper-saturated, hallucinogenic palette of a "sunrise set" gone wrong at a rave party. Battlefield dust merges indistinguishably with festival dust. Tanks breathe like massive dystopian art installations, tunnel networks feel like descents into the subconscious.
This is a world where authorities have abdicated, where everyone discovers the opposite of what they believed about themselves. Like Ari, a reservist from a religious-Zionist background - a cardiac surgeon who finds himself hauling a generator to save patients in a hospital after his own unit cut the power, knowing some of those patients are likely connected to Hamas.
Within a psychological war drama, we create a personal, nuanced tone steeped in the experiences, crises, and insights emerging from friction with this reality.

ABOUT THE WRITERS

Ori Ravid
A seasoned Israeli screenwriter and director, renowned for his work on the acclaimed film Eli & Ben (2008), which he wrote and directed. A graduate of Tel Aviv University's Department of Film and Television Studies, Ravid has contributed to several notable Israeli television series, including Asfur, Split, and Galis. Beyond his creative endeavors, he has served as a script editor and mentor, notably at the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School. His recent projects encompass directing and writing roles in films like Salento.

Amir Lin
Borderlines tells the personal story of Amir, who served in an elite military unit in his youth and volunteered to re-enlist in the army during the war. His personal story, bridging war, family, and altered states of consciousness, is the foundation for this series.

PRODUCER'S STATEMENT

Borderlines offers strong international appeal: intimate character drama, genre-bending aesthetics, and themes relevant to audiences navigating their own societal fractures. We have a series bible, and an experienced creative team. We are seeking European co-production partners for this war drama that transcends its Israeli origins to explore universal themes of identity rupture and institutional collapse.
We're looking for:
• A European production company to co-produce
• A European broadcaster or streaming platform
• Creative and financial partners who share our vision for bold, visually distinctive storytelling
We're open to discussing various co-production models and welcome conversations about how to tailor the project for European markets while maintaining its distinctive voice.

PRODUCER PROFILE

Fremantle Israel Studio (formerly Abot Hameiri Barkai) is a leading Israeli production house specializing in high-quality, innovative television content. Since its acquisition by Fremantle International in 2016, the Studio, headed by Dikla Barkai, has gained global recognition for its acclaimed drama series.
Its portfolio includes the international hit Shtisel (YES/Netflix), winner of 16 Israeli Academy Awards, and its prequel Kugel. Other notable works include East Side (produced for Kan 11, sold worldwide), the award-winning Srugim, The Conductor, and The Attaché. The studio’s success extends to scripted formats like When Shall We Kiss, remade for HBO Europe, and award-winning documentaries such as the Sundance Special Jury Prize winner Hot House. Known for producing much of Israel’s primetime content, the studio consistently delivers creative excellence on a global scale.

PRODUCTION CONTACT DETAILS

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