By Megan Wadding, Jan. 15, 2015.
Eytan Fox, writer and creator of the film Cupcakes, grew up in Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Fox said he was inspired to write the film after watching a group of his friends compete on the European singing contest television show, Eurovision, which is sort of Europe’s equivalent of American Idol.
Fox, who watched his first Eurovision in 1973, that that in preparation for Eurovision 2000, two good friends of his decided, as a joke, to record a dance song with their girlfriends and send it to the committee entrusted with choosing the Israeli contender in the show.
A month later they received the astounding news that the group had been chosen to represent Israel in the competition.
“It is important to note that none of these people knew how to sing, dance, let alone stand on a stage in front of an audience,” he said.
According to Fox, during preparations and rehearsals, the band decided that if they were not successful at singing, they would at least take advantage of the popular platform and say something of importance.
“They decided to up the political undertones by going on stage with flags from both Israel and Syria, evoking a message of peace and reconciliation between us and our Arab neighbors,” Fox recalled.
Years later, while flipping through TV channels at a Berlin hotel, Fox came across Eurovision, once again, and was inspired to write a film about it.
“Suddenly I realized that I didn’t even know who was representing Israel that year,” he said. “I turned off the set and in a surge of momentum, not characteristic of me, I moved to my computer and wrote the synopsis for Cupcakes.”
Fox said that he modeled the group of friends in the film after women that lived in the building he grew up in, the kind he imagined watched Eurovision together.
“[Cupcakes] is a feel-good movie, which, like a great pop song, convinces you that everything is possible,” Fox said.
Review: Cupcakes
Eytan Fox’s 2013 film Cupcakes is a feel-good, music-inspired comedy about six tenants of an Tel Aviv apartment, ranging in age from 20s to 50s, who gather to watch Universong, a sort-of international singing competition, not unlike Europe’s Eurovision competition or even American Idol.
The film is in Hebrew, with English subtitles, but is easy to follow, as it reveals each tenant’s personal story and the group’s collective journey to face not only the competition, but themselves as well.
Written and directed by Fox, the film is centered around the televised singing competition that most everyone is aware of, but that only some are excited about.
With the exception of Ofer (played by Ofer Schecter), who is genuinely enthusiastic about the idea of watching the show, possibly because his secret and very closeted boyfriend, Asi, is the handsome host. When the group of Ofer and five of his fellow neighbors, all women, gather together to watch the show, Ofer sings all the songs and does elaborate hand gestures while the woman mostly look on in boredom.
The tenants seem to start out only knowing rough details of each other’s lives, as any building full of people do, but they very quickly form deep bond over their collective comforting of middle-aged tenant, Anat, who divulges in the middle of watching the show, that her husband has suddenly left her.
In hopes of making Anat feel better, the group, led by Ofer (played by Ofer Schecter) and guitar-wielding lesbian tenant, Efrat (played by Efrat Dor), sing an impromptu number to cheer her up, with Anat eventually also joining in. Ofer conveniently passes around his cell phone in order to capture the performance on video.
The other tenants include bossy, middle-aged bakeshop owner, Anat (Anat Waxman), career-driven politician’s assistant, Dana (Dana Ivgy), ex-beauty queen turned lawyer, Yael (Yael Bar-Zohar) and shy blogger, Keren (Keren Berger), each shining in their individual roles.
After seeing a newspaper ad asking for entries, Ofer decides to enter the group’s video into the competition without their knowledge. They are quickly chosen as the Israeli representatives.
Asi, Ofer’s boyfriend, is initially shocked and angry that Ofer would enter the competition, worrying that Ofer’s fame will shed light on the couple’s private life. Although apprehensive, he seems to quickly come to terms with Ofer’s decision to participate.
Eventially, each tenant, with the exception of career-minded Dana, come to the conclusion, “Why not?”, and tell Ofer that they are willing to participate in the competition.
The film is campy, yet endearing. As, as the plot unfolds, each tenant’s personal situation and story are both revealed and entangled into their involvement with the show. In a unique twist, we learn that the show’s audience is privy to the behind-the-scenes moments that lead them each to decide to participate, and what each of them is risking by choosing to do so.
After the initial televised performance, during which the group appears phony in their neon-colored wigs and matching thigh-high dresses, Dana decides to rejoin her friends.
The next surprise comes when the group – who eventually becomes known as Bananot, which translates to “cupcakes,” named after Anat’s bakery – refuses help from the show’s image team and petitions the show’s management to allow them to present their song as their genuine selves. The show declines the group’s demand for artistic freedom over their image, and informs them that if they do not adhere to the creative demands of the show, they must raise their own money to get themselves to the competition in Paris.
Asi’s parents, who are also sponsors of Universong, hire an investigator to confirm their suspicions about his relationship with Ofer and they agree to back the band financially if both men can be more discreet about their relationship. They couple reluctantly agreed, and the group is elated to find out that their financial worries for the band are over and that they can proceed with the competition.
Ultimately, the group makes it to the competition in Paris and performs as themselves. Even amidst the drummers, flamenco dancers, flutists and acrobats, they easily stand out in their simplicity.
The group’s final performance at Universong is well-done and true to their humble beginnings. When they return home to Tel Aviv, each is somewhat surprised by who greets them as they arrive.
In this delightful, feel-good musical comedy, the friends end up proving that, win or lose, the real gain is coming home, knowing that you were true to yourself and recognizing that you went on out a limb for something you believed in.
