Ervinka 1967

In 1960s Tel Aviv, Ervinka is a young man who scoffs at work, morality, law and order, and the idea of settling down. He survives as a petty con artist, charging parking fees on a lot that isn’t his, siphoning electricity from neighbors, freeloading at family gatherings he isn’t invited to, and extorting movie directors by revving his moped engine near their film sets. He also finds sly ways to outsmart the authorities by taking advantage of bureaucratic laziness and inefficiency—a sharp, recurring target in Kishon’s humor. Ervinka even ingratiates himself with the local underworld by helping them dodge trouble after a robbery, and all the while his single dream remains: win the lottery so he can quit living on wit and whimsy.

His carefree life becomes tangled when he falls for Ruti, a police officer who loves him but is appalled by his lifestyle and deeply worried that he is sliding toward a life of crime. Despite her feelings, she makes it clear she cannot associate with a criminal, creating a tension that tests both of them.

Tired of endless near-misses at the lottery, Ervinka hatches a devilish con to raid the Tel Aviv lottery offices. He stages the plan under the guise of directing a movie, convincing his underworld friends to try to crack the lottery safe while spectators and even police officers treat the scene as if they’re watching a film shoot. When the safe proves stubborn, the actual police lend their own expert to keep the filming rolling, and the gang seizes the money just seconds before the authorities realize what’s happening.

With the next jackpot tucked safely behind his moped seat, Ervinka believes his dream has come true. But his police officer beloved closes in during his escape, confessing that her feelings are as strong as his, and that she won’t be part of a crime. In a decisive turn, Ervinka chooses love over money and returns the windfall to the General Manager of the lottery in an official ceremony—exactly the moment he had always imagined himself receiving the prize. The gesture marks a moral pivot as he weighs affection against fortune, and the film settles into a nuanced finale that blends mischief with accountability.

The film’s humor and heart are framed by Kishon’s signature satire of bureaucracy, a thread that runs through Ervinka’s escapades and the world he inhabits, offering a playful yet pointed look at a city where schemes, charm, and conscience collide.