Beetle, the Hachipusheet

The adoring Israeli owner of an old Volkswagen Beetle, Yishai Orian, is going to become a father. His mechanic says that the car will not last long, while his very pregnant wife complains that the small vehicle is unsuitable for a baby. Torn between the responsibility of fatherhood and an irrational passion for his sputtering car, Yishai embarks on a mission to track down the past owners of his VW Bug in order to understand the car’s complex history. In doing so, viewers discover the car’s origins in Nazi Germany, as well as the lives of those who were touched and shaped by the dowdy vehicle. Orian crosses the Jordanian desert in a desperate attempt to salvage the car with the help of Arab hands, and to regain his wife’s trust. This heartwarming documentary hints at the possibilities for a cross-border, Middle East reconciliation, and pays tribute to the romanticism of car enthusiasts.