Hats of Jerusalem

Jerusalem can rightfully be called the hat capital of the world. Whereas the rest of the world has allowed its hats to gather dust in the closet since the 1950s, Jerusalem still teems with hats and caps. From soldier to monk, everyone is identifiable by his hat. Director Nati Adler, who is neither religious nor a hat-wearer, explored the how and the why of the hats of Jerusalem. His colourful and personal trip takes us along the diverse headdresses of the three religions populating the city. The Hassidic Jews have more different hats than one can count. A Russian-orthodox nun is willing to discuss her headgear, but the bishop would not approve. Palestinians tell about the growing popularity of the Arafat look. Two young Armenian monks appear to love hard-rock music and wear something on their head that closely resembles Mountain Ararat. What begins as an innocent exercise by a curious documentary filmmaker develops as it were into a Pandora's box full of stories and history lessons. Every answer evokes new questions. Why do people in Jerusalem wear so many hats, what is a , why don't Armenian Christians use their Turkish hats in their ceremonies, and why do women actually have to cover their heads?