Archives

Encirclements

Thirteen year old Aharon Ninio, the only child of parents who are unable to conceive again, is determined to win the honor of carrying the Torah scrolls on Simhat Torah. The belief that he who carries the Torah may ask God for anything on behalf of others can elevate Aharon’s status in the neighborhood and win his distant father’s approval and love. But after Aharon wins the honor, his achievement brings ancient tensions to the surface: his father Bezalel is sure that it’s a sign from God and now his wish to have another child will come true; whereas his mother Rosa, having endured six miscarriages, is unwilling to mourn another loss. Aharon is torn between his parents’ conflicting wishes, when in fact all he wants for himself is to be loved by Aliza, the most popular girl in the neighborhood. His tension becomes unbearable and on the night of the honorary round, the Torah slips from his hands and shatters on the ground. Aharon’s public disgrace is an unbearable insult to his father, who refuses to forgive Aharon despite pleas from Rosa and the Rabbi, and leaves home. Aharon begins fasting to atone for the dropping of the Torah, but upon his father’s abandonment, his fast grows longer and more dangerous, as he refuses to stop even at the price of endangering his life.

The Bentwich Syndrome

From his humble origins in Whitechapel, the eccentric and ambitious 19th century lawyer Herbert Bentwich set out to establish an aristocratic Jewish dynasty. In this brilliantly wry documentary, Bentwich’s great-grandson Gur discovers the truth about his much-maligned and enigmatic family, which, according to its founders, served as God’s gift to Zionism and enlightened Judaism. Along the way, he uncovers a remarkable story, funny, implausible and sometimes tragic, of fervent Zionists, inspired artists, and outrageously determined rebels.

17 Beginnings of Talia

Twenty-five years after the death of actress Talia Shapira, her son begins a journey to retrace her life. He combs through the vast belongings his mother left behind – diaries, stories, films, audio tapes – as he peels his memories layer by layer, finally arriving at the most significant moment in their relationship: Talia’s last days.
Seventeen chapters of observation constitute an abstract and emotional mosaic, an intense investigation into the essence and meaning of a dialogue between mother and son – a dialogue that transcends words and time.
The unique way in which the director has chosen to describe this process of deciphering his mother’s life poignantly conveys both the need as well as the inherent difficulities to connect incidental moments of our lives into meaningful stories.

A Tale of Love and Darkness

Amos Oz chronicles his childhood in Jerusalem at the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the early years of the State of Israel, and his teenage years on Kibbutz Hulda. As a child, he crossed paths with prominent figures in Israeli society, among them Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Shaul Tchernichovsky, and David Ben-Gurion. One of his teachers was the Israeli poet Zelda. Joseph Klausner was his great-uncle. Told in a non-linear fashion, Oz’s story is interwoven with tales of his family’s Eastern European roots. The family’s name was Klausner. By changing the name to a Hebrew one, Oz rebelled against that European background while affirming loyalty to the land of his birth.

Aida’s Secrets

Isaac and Shfisil, two brothers born in a DP camp after World War II, lived in the shadow of secrets hidden from them all by their closest relatives. When they were babies, they were separated and did not know anything about each other. Investigate the mysterious history of family reunion after six decades, gives a rare glimpse of life in the DP camps in Germany after World War II: a lively social life and communities flourished wild young survivors, a period that is hardly spoken about on the screen.

Self Made

Self Made tells the story of two women – one Israeli, the other Palestinian- who are trapped within their respective worlds. After a mix-up at a checkpoint, they find themselves living the life of the other on the opposite side of the border.

Srugim

Srugim is a drama series which deals with the life of religious bachelors from Jerusalem. The series offers a glance into the lives of intelligent and educated young males and females which can’t find their place in the existing religious frames, which based mostly on family, thing which brings them, like bachelors from other sectors, to live in rented apartments in a specific geographical area.

Magic Men

An elderly Greek man and his son embark on a journey with absurd encounters, which ultimately leads them to a final father-and-son confrontation.

The Fifth Heaven poster

The Fifth Heaven

Based on the novel by Rachel Eytan. Summer 1944. 13 year old Maya is placed in a foster home. The director of the home falls in love with her, as Maya reminds him of a tortured love affair from his past. Maya, however, falls in love with a member of the underground who is engaged to one of the workers at the home. This complicated romance enthralls.

Seven Days (Shiva)

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.