False Flag (TV series)
False Flag (original title in Hebrew: כפולים Translit.: Kfulim Translated: "Doubled") is an Israeli television thriller drama series.
| False Flag כפולים | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Kfulim |
| Genre | Drama, Thriller |
| Created by | Maria Feldman Amit Cohen |
| Based on | Mahmoud al-Mabhouh case |
| Written by | Amit Cohen |
| Directed by | Oded Ruskin |
| Starring | Ishai Golan Maggie Azarzar Ania Bukstein Angel Bonanni Orna Salinger Mickey Leon Morris Cohen Sergey Bukhman |
| Composer(s) | Gilad Benamram |
| Country of origin | Israel |
| Original language(s) | Hebrew |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Maria Feldman Liat Bnasoli |
| Cinematography | Nadav Hakselman |
| Editor(s) | Or Ben David |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Keshet Media |
| Distributor | Keshet International |
| Release | |
| Original network | Channel 2 |
| Picture format | 576p (PAL) 1080i (16:9 HDTV) |
| Original release | October 29, 2015 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
The series is directed by Oded Ruskin and stars Ishai Golan, Maggie Azarzar, Angel Bonanni, Ania Bukstein and Orna Salinger. It was created for Keshet International by Maria Feldman and Amit Cohen. It involves five ordinary Israelis who wake up one morning and discover that their names, faces, and personal details have been splashed across the world’s media on suspicion of involvement in a high-profile kidnapping.
The series had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, and won the audience award at France's Series Mania festival in April 2015. In October 2015, during the annual trade show MIPCOM, it was announced that the series was acquired by Fox International and was its first acquisition of a foreign-language series on a global scale.[1] The show will be broadcast in 127 countries.
False Flag was made by Keshet International and originally aired on Israel's Channel 2 on October 29, 2015.
Background
The show is loosely based on the story of the assassination in Dubai of a senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the co-founder of military wing of the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas on January 19, 2010.[2]
Series synopsis
The series revolves around five ordinary Israeli citizens who discover one morning via the media that they are the principal suspects of a high-profile kidnapping and are implicated as culprits in the kidnapping. They are involved in a brutal kidnapping of the Iranian minister of defense, Farhead Sulimani, during his visit to Moscow on 15 April 2015, having arrived in the country earlier that day from London under an alias and using one of several passports. According to Federal Security Service, Sulimani was drugged. Widespread speculation, which Russian police allegations support, is that he was killed by Israeli Mossad in a secret mission.
News channels around the world cover the incident while broadcasting the footage of the kidnapping, the five Israelis soon become wanted and their personal details, including their passports photos, are shown on the media and TV channels around the world.
The unceasing news coverage causes an uproar in the suspects' lives and mixed feelings from their surroundings and the public. Their attempts to deny their involvement are in vain. The Mossad and the Israeli government leave them to deal with it on their own instead of providing protection. It's not long before they undermine their credibility. Later, even their closest friends begin to distrust them. Although eventually it is discovered that they are not that innocent.
Cast and characters
Main cast
- Ishai Golan as Ben "Benny" Rephael - A chemist and a family man, an Israeli with a Greek citizenship. (S1)
- Magi Azarzar as Natalie Alfassia - A bride on her wedding day, an Israeli with a French citizenship. (S1)
- Ania Bukstein as Asia Brindich - A kindergarten teacher, an Israeli with a Russian citizenship. (S1)
- Angel Bonanni as Sean Tilson - An Israeli with dual Dutch citizenship, came back to Israel after a vacation in India. (S1-2)
- Orna Salinger as Emma Lipman - New Israeli citizen with dual British citizenship. (S1)
- Mickey Leon as Eithan Kopel - Head of the Shin Bet investigation team and a former Mossad agent. (S1-2)
- Yiftach Klein as Sagi Kedmi (S2)
- Neta Riskin as Anat Kedmi (S2)
- Yousef Sweid as Amir Cohen (S2)
- Hanna Azoulay Hasfari as Miriam Levi (S2)
- Hani Furstenberg as Joan 'Jo' Berger (S2)
- Moran Rosenblatt as Dikla Levi (S2)
- Lihi Kornowski as Mika Arazy (S2)
Recurring cast
- Morris Cohen as Eli Mazor - Shin Bet investigator
- Sergey Bukhman as Alex Feldman - Shin Bet investigator
- Avigail Ariely as Efrat - Ben's wife
- Roi Assaf as Yuval - Natalie's fiance
- Shalom Shmuelov as the Israeli Prime Minister
- Yigal Naor as Gabi
Episodes
| Title | Summary | Directed | Written | Original air date | Israel viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Episode 1.1 | Russian intelligence uncovers footage of five Israelis kidnapping the Iranian defence minister | Oded Ruskin | Amit Cohen, Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | October 29, 2015 | 30.0% |
Episode 1.2 | Eitan interrogates four of the suspects whilst Sean avoids capture | Oded Ruskin | Amit Cohen, Maria Feldman | October 29, 2015 | 28.9% |
Episode 1.3 | A new video of the Iranian defence minister surfaces claiming to have defected and not been kidnapped | Oded Ruskin | Amit Cohen, Maria Feldman | November 4, 2015 | 26.3% |
Episode 1.4 | Natalie admits to having laundered money for anonymous people but didn't know it was for Sean | Oded Ruskin | Amit Cohen, Maria Feldman | November 4, 2015 | 24.4% |
Episode 1.5 | Sean suspects Gabi Silvers' motives. He abandons the safe house to collect a memory stick left at Asia's apartment | Oded Ruskin | Amit Cohen, Maria Feldman | November 11, 2015 | N/A |
Episode 1.6 | Benny and Emma get help from Yuval in their escape. They warn Asia and escape to an isolated cabin | Oded Ruskin | Amit Cohen, Maria Feldman | November 18, 2015 | N/A |
Episode 1.7 | Inside the cabin, Asia argues with everyone and goes to an isolated spot with Sean | Oded Ruskin | Amit Cohen, Maria Feldman | November 25, 2015 | N/A |
Episode 1.8 | After a shootout between Sean and Emma, Benny manages to convince Sean to escape. Benny, Emma, Asia and Natalie are arrested and extradited to Russia | Oded Ruskin | Amit Cohen Maria Maria Feldman | December 2, 2015 | 29.4% |
Episode 2.1 | … | Oded Ruskin | Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | November 21, 2018 | N/A |
Episode 2.2 | … | Oded Ruskin | Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | November 21, 2018 | N/A |
Episode 2.3 | … | Oded Ruskin | Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | November 28, 2018 | N/A |
Episode 2.4 | … | Oded Ruskin | Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | December 5, 2018 | N/A |
Episode 2.5 | … | Oded Ruskin | Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | December 12, 2018 | N/A |
Episode 2.6 | … | Oded Ruskin | Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | December 12, 2018 | N/A |
Episode 2.7 | … | Oded Ruskin | Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | December 19, 2018 | N/A |
Episode 2.8 | … | Oded Ruskin | Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | December 26, 2018 | N/A |
Episode 2.9 | … | Oded Ruskin | Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | January 2, 2019 | N/A |
Episode 2.10 | … | Oded Ruskin | Maria Feldman, Leora Kamenetzky | January 9, 2019 | N/A |
Remake
Apple has ordered a remake of the series starring Uma Thurman, titled Suspicion, for Apple TV+.[3]
See also
References
- MIPCOM: Fox International Channels Takes Israeli Series 'False Flag', The Hollywood Reporter, 6 October 2015
- Fox International, Warner Bros Acquire Israeli TV Shows ‘False Flag’, ‘Girlfriends’ For U.S. Market, Algemeiner Journal, 4 October 2013
- "Apple orders new drama series "Suspicion," starring Academy Award nominee Uma Thurman" (Press release). March 11, 2020.
External links
- Official website
- False Flag on IMDb
- Article on Fox International's website about the acquisition of 'False Flag'