2011 | 52 minutes | Translation: Hebrew, English

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In March 2002 an IDF tank ran over an explosive device in Gaza killing three soldiers. Matan Berman, the dog handler who accompanied the unit, became shell-shocked following this tragic event.

 

A few weeks later he started to complain of horrendous pain in his leg, which was subsequently diagnosed as CPRS, a mysterious pain syndrome. The slightest touch – the whisper of wind or a drop of water – now causes him pain that can only be contained with the use of large doses of morphine.

 

Seven years later, Matan decides to put the past behind him, and to amputate his leg. The film reveals layer by layer the soul of a man who fights for his life and keeps coming up against inner demons that give him no peace. The surprising finale awakens speculation about the complicated connections between body and soul.

 

Cutting the Pain was acquired for broadcast by Reshet and supported by NFCT. It premiered at the Haifa International Film Festival and is screened regularly at professional conferences on trauma attended by psychologists, social workers, judges and physicians. In addition, the film is screened at departments of psychology in leading Israeli universities.