The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrives in Israel from Egypt for a cultural event. They soon find out that there is no delegation to meet them, nor any arrangements to get to their destination of Petah Tiqva. They struggle to find accommodations in an unfamiliar place.
The ostensible focus of this film by Avi Nesher is the Jewish resistance movement in Palestine in 1942 when the Brits still held colonial power in the region. A “Stern Gang” (Jewish resistance) cell is set to take revenge on a cruel British officer who has condemned one of their members to death. Unfortunately, weak characterization and a flawed, uneven plot (certain plot developments are simply forgotten) undermine this basically valid concept.
Nadav Lapid’s The Kindergarten Teacher is the story of a teacher who becomes at first enchanted, and then ultimately consumed by the poetic genius of her five-year-old student. As the titular protagonist, Nira, discovers that her young student, Yoav, has an otherworldly talent for language and poetry, she slowly and progressively becomes interested in cultivating the boy’s gift. But when fascination morphs into obsession, Nira pushes the boundaries of her relationship with the boy and his family in an attempt to protect his talent before he passes from boyhood to adolescence, and his purity is lost.
Following his critically acclaimed debut Policemen, Lapid demonstrates the aesthetic vision of a true auteur, combining a verite approach with thrilling a cinematic narrative that brings into sharp focus the dangers of both mediocrity and passion.
It is 1991 in the midst of the first Gulf War and Israel is under daily missile attacks. But in the Ohayon family, tragedy has hit in more mundane circumstances as beloved Maurice, one of nine brothers and sisters, has suddenly died. The family gathers for the traditional seven days of mourning (shiva) in which they are not allowed to leave the house. The intensity of this situation is a catalyst for more than just emotional support and communal grief. Jealousy, gossip, long term rivalry and financial problems come to the fore, as each of the siblings is faced with their frustrated ambitions.
This musical, quasi-documentary film follows the making of the music album “Shablul” by Arik Einstein and Shalom Hanoch. Influenced by The Beatles, interspersed with humorous skits, and loaded with classic songs from Einstein and Hanoch, “The Snail” brings back the ’60s and the Israeli pop and rock scene.
Through the streets of Jerusalem, two teenagers’ stories will unite to tell the summer adventure of their lives.
Tamar is an amazingly talented but very quiet and insecure girl, who leaves behind her home and all she knows, changing herself unrecognizably–from her looks to her attitude–to brace herself for a dangerous mission to help a loved one.
Asaf, a clumsy, naive, and very shy boy working a boring summer job at City Hall, is given quite a mission himself: to take an uncontrollable stray dog from the pound, put it on a leash, and let it lead him back to its owners to be fined. The dog, Dinkah, leads Asaf through the city to the people and places that will tell him about Dinka’s owner, Tamar, and her sudden disappearance. The more stories Asaf hears about this extraordinary girl, the more he falls for her, and as he and Dinkah continue their journey Asaf becomes aware that Tamar is in grave danger. Feeling as if he knows her, and knowing he loves her, Asaf is determined to find Tamar and rescue her from her own rescue mission.
Morad, a teenager living in an Arab neighboorhood in Israel, had everything a teenager could want; he was socially popular, loved by his family, an athlete, and a good student. But after a cruel beating by his classmates, he becomes catatonic and withdraws from life. Instead of interring him in a mental institution, his doctor suggests dolphin-assisted therapy down in Eilat. Desperate to help his son, Morad’s father sells everything, leaves his job and family, moves to Dolphin Reef on the Red Sea, and vows not to return until the boy fully recovers. But even when Morad begins to speak again, he’s changed beyond what anyone could’ve expected. A moving film about nature’s power to heal.
After spending 18 years in a heavily fortified mountain fortress deep in occupied Lebanon, the last group of Israeli soldiers enduring constant bombardment at Beaufort, a former stronghold of ancient crusaders, receives orders to abandon their post, detonate the bunkers in which they’ve tenuously clung to life and victory, and come home.
Amid increased shelling from Hezbollah, the fort’s brash, impossibly young commander Liraz (Oshri Cohen) struggles to keep himself and his men safe from a faceless enemy that would turn withdrawal into massacre and transform a just cause into a lost cause.
Academy Award® Nominee, Best Foreign Language Film.
An affectionate portrait of a family whose members are behaving at their worst. There Was No War in ’72 begins from the point of view of Yoni (Adam Abulafia), the beleaguered son of an overbearing businessman (Shmuel Edelman). To the disappointment of his father, Yoni has just been kicked out of his private school for poor grades. His American mother (Ava Haddad) is trying to get him to go to the boarding school she has cajoled into accepting him, but Yoni would rather spend his time on other pursuits. The film speaks to the struggles of adolescence and the restless nature of youth, as well as the complexities of being a family.
Set during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, Cup Final tells the story of Cohen, a young Israeli soldier who is kidnapped by a group of Palestinian fighters and held hostage during the conflict. The 1982 FIFA World Cup happens to be on during the invasion, and captor and captive’s mutual love of football (and support for the Italian team), helps break down the barriers of nationalism and historical baggage.
