An observation of the changes in the Sakhne National Park throughout a single year enables a broader discourse and source of contemplation on Israeli society.
Archives
GISI
Gisi Fleischmann believed she could stop the Holocaust if only she succeeded to raise enough money. She led a resistance group in Slovakia which tried to stop the deportations of Jews from Slovakia and later from all over Europe by bribing Nazi officials. Recently, the Slovak National Theater staged a play about her. The film follows the theater ensemble during the creative process of putting on the play, interweaving it with Gisi’s letters, insights of historians and memories of her relatives. Through the dialogue between film and theater, past and present, facts and imagination, “Gisi” tells the tragic, yet inspiring story of a woman who helped to save thousands but couldn’t save herself.
The Way Up
Destiny Hills
Muhammad, a Bedouin from an unrecognized village, stands in the way of the bulldozers that have reached his house. He returns from prison a changed person, devoting himself to Islam.
The Quest For The Missing Piece
As a young Jewish gay man living in Tel Aviv with his German partner, Oded Lotan is in an intriguing position to examine the ritual of bris, or male circumcision. What is the significance of this `missing piece` in 21st century Jewish life? Hubby is, after all, `intact`, and can`t see what the fuss is about.
Presented as a gently humorous fairy tale bridging the gap between tradition and modernity, this quest addresses personal feelings towards the ritual, the fear of exclusion, and the need to belong. Aided by wonderful animated sequences, Lotan pieces together the story of his own bris while reflecting on the complex role his sexuality and time spent away from home in Germany has played in shaping his Israeli identity. Lotan is an endearing `hero` and a filmmaking talent to watch, negotiating an emotive topic with considerable wit and panache.
Paper Dolls
Eight Twenty Eight
From Man to Man – We Pass Like Strangers
Jerusalem is inhabited by many different characters, each with unique stories. The tensions and complexities of the city are represented by the regular passengers of the newly inaugurated urban train. Seven passengers and a conductor tell their stories while trying to reach their destinations, revealing the complex mosaic of Jerusalem. Is it, in fact, a united city?
We Said No Crying
A personal diary following the filmmaker and his wife’s fertility treatments, pregnancy with twins, decision whether to abort one “problematic” fetus, and other complications.
Bilin My Love
The story of a Palestinian village trying to break the occupation in non-violent resistance against the Israeli Army. The village of Bil’in is about to lose more than half of its lands to the Israeli separation fence and to the neighbouring Israeli settlement. In response, the villagers confront the army in weekly demonstrations.
