'Mike's Place' tells the true story of terror in a Tel Aviv blues bar

[King_David]

Back in 2003 when filmmaker Jack Baxter first visited Mike's Place, a beachfront blues bar in Tel Aviv, he envisioned making a documentary about a venue where Jews, Muslims, tourists and expats could gather in peace and leave their differences at the door.

The bar had a rule -- no discussing politics or religion -- that appealed to the region's young people who just wanted to let loose and enjoy themselves.

But Baxter couldn't have predicted that a few weeks into filming, Mike's Place would be attacked by a suicide bomber. The blast killed three people and left 50 injured, including Baxter. Baxter and Israeli filmmaker Joshua Faudem finished the documentary, "Blues by the Beach," about the lead-up to the bombing and the bar's rebirth after the tragedy.

More than a decade later, the filmmakers teamed up with Israeli-born illustrator Koren Shadmi to adapt their experience into a graphic novel. The result is "Mike's Place: A True Story of Love, Blues and Terror in Tel Aviv," out Tuesday from First Second Books.


http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-mikes-place-20150608-story.html#page=1

[grossproffit]

1. Thanks for posting this.

I'll have to read this book. How utterly disgusting that a place with peace in mind ended with terrorism. This topic, of course if void of any comments. It leads me to believe that some don't care when people are murdered in Israel.

[King_David]

3. This is the terrorist attack that the ISM is accused of assisting the terrorists.

http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2003/Pages/Details%20of%20April%2030-%202003%20Tel%20Aviv%20suicide%20bombing.aspx

[Little Tich]

2. So much sadness.

It never should have happened. So wrong.

The graphic novel / comic is a good medium for telling a story like this. I'll probably read it someday.