Te'alat Blaumilch (1969)

Blaumilch Canal (international release title: The Big Dig) is a 1969 Israeli comedy directed by Ephraim Kishon, which depicts the madness of bureaucracy through a municipality’s reaction to the actions of a lunatic.

The film was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.



^ Kaye, Helen (12 April 2002). "All in a life's work". Jerusalem Post. p. 16.

Synopsis

A lunatic with a digging compulsion (Blaumilch) escapes from an asylum, steals a jackhammer and proceeds to open up a main street and traffic artery in Tel Aviv (Allenby Street). Rather than question his actions, the police, as well as city officials, assume he is operating under the municipality’s orders and aid him as much as they can. Complaints from local residents, whose lives become a living hell due to the noise and traffic jams, lead to infighting amongst city departments. To speed up the work, so that it would be completed before the start of the municipal elections, the city sends armies of construction workers and heavy equipment to help the lone compressor, turning a mere annoyance into a full blown disaster.

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