Ardant and Depardieu in Israel

French movie stars, Fanny Ardant and Gerard Depardieu, who arrived in Israel over the weekend, began shooting the movie "Hello-Goodbye" an Israel-French co-production.

The shoot that started Sunday morning at Nabi Musa not far from Jericho wandered later in the day to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Ardant and Depardieu on the Mount of Olives (Photo: Eyal Landsman)

In the first scene shot Sunday, Ardant and Depardieu who play a couple of French Jews that make aliya, received a massive dose of Judaism. The desert scene included encounters with biblical figures and ended as the two say Kadish (prayer for the dead) on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

The shoot is expected to last four weeks during which Ardant will stay in Israel. Depardieu, on the other hand, will travel back and forth across the ocean due to other commitments.

"Depardieu arrived in a cheerful mood. He is pleasant and easygoing and makes the crew laugh all the time," said sources.

The first day on location was a success. Other scene will be shot over the next few days in Tel Aviv.