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Films

Waltz with Bashir
Salt of This Sea
The Galilee Eskimos
Jericho's Echo
Strangers
Sons of Sakhnin United
The Secrets
Jellyfish
Driving to Zigzigland

Waltz with Bashir

One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari Folman about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there's a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. Ari is surprised that he can't remember a thing anymore about that period of his life.

Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images. Official site here.

Salt of this Sea

Soraya (played by Suheir Hammad), born in Brooklyn in a working class community of Palestinian refugees, discovers that her grandfather's savings were frozen in a bank account in Jaffa when he was exiled in 1948. Stubborn, passionate and determined to reclaim what is hers, she fulfills her life-long dream of "returning" to Palestine. Slowly she is taken apart by the reality around her and is forced to confront her own internal anger. She meets Emad (Saleh Bakri), a young Palestinian whose ambition, contrary to hers, is to leave forever. Tired of the constraints that dictate their lives, they know in order to be free, they must take things into their own hands, even if it’s illegal. Via.

The Galilee Eskimos

An old kibbutz tucked in the Hills of Galilee plunges into bankruptcy. Men, women and children abandon their homes, leaving behind a desolate scene except for a dozen residents of an old-folk's home on the property who discover they have been deserted and are left to fend for themselves. The largest creditor, a bank, closes a deal with a contractor who arrives at the kibbutz and is astonished to discover that the senior citizens were left behind. The group initially sinks into deep depression, feeling betrayed by their relatives and society, but organizes in hopes of rebuilding the kibbutz. Via.

Jericho's Echo

Rebellious Israili youth take up the arms of punk rock, loud guitars and mowhawks in the most politically charged area of the world. Looking at the present situation in Israel through the eyes of punk rockers is an uncommon vantage point, but the voices of these diverse young people illuminate the thoughts of a generation of disillusioned Israelis who yearn for an end to the bleak politics of war, so that they might live out their dreams. Official site.

Strangers

Described as the story of a globe-trotting, Israeli Romeo who meets a Palestinian Juliet, Strangers puts love to the test in time of war. Eyal, an Israeli kibbutznik, and Rana, an expat Palestinian living in Paris, visit Berlin for the 2006 World Cup finals where they're forced to share an apartment after accidentally swapping backpacks. Over three intensive days their friendship turns to love as they're drawn out of the stark reality of their lives and into a passionate affair as the second Israel-Lebanon war plays out. When it's time to go home, they must decide where to go to from there. The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize (World Cinema – Dramatic) at the Sundance Film Festival, won the Wolgin Award for Most Promising Actress at the Jerusalem Film Festival and was nominated for Best Actor at the Israeli Film Academy. Via.

Sons of Sakhnin United

Jews and Arabs strive for a common goal, literally, in this rousing documentary about a multiethnic soccer team and their quixotic quest for Israel's State Soccer Cup. A ramshackle Arab town in Northern Israel, Sakhnin is impoverished and without a stadium. Still, residents are passionate about their soccer, an important distraction from the difficult realities of daily life in the Galilee. Comprised of Arab and Jewish players, B'nei Sakhnin faces the hostility of right-wing fans, competes against better-funded teams, and is forced to practice on a dirt field. Against these odds, the underdog team advances to the championship finals for the first time, creating a transcending symbol of hope and reconciliation in the blood-soaked Middle East. The film's nail-biting climax will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.

The Secrets

The Secrets presents the complexities of a religious lifestyle within the context of youth, rebellion and desire. Naomi postpones marriage to the prodigy of her ultra orthodox rabbi father to study at a Jewish seminary for women in the ancient Kabalistic seat of Safed following her mother's death. Her quest for individuality takes a defiant turn when she befriends Michelle, a free-spirited but headstrong fellow student. Their unlikely alliance is jeopardized by a mysterious older woman named Anouk, a terminally ill tortured soul shunned by the community for her crime of passion. Together, they attempt to purge her sins through a series of secret rituals. The film was nominated for eight Awards of the Israeli Film Academy, including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Costumes, Best Editing, Best Music and Best Sound. Official site.

Jellyfish

Poignant, often witty and exceedingly cinematic, JELLYFISH (MEDUZOT), tells the story of three very different Tel Aviv women whose intersecting stories weave an unlikely portrait of modern Israeli life. Batya, a catering waitress, takes in a child apparently abandoned at a local beach. Batya is one of the servers at the wedding reception of Keren, a bride who breaks her leg escaping a locked toilet stall, ruining her chance at a dream Caribbean honeymoon. And attending the event with an employer is Joy, a non Hebrew-speaking domestic worker who has guiltily left her son behind in her native Philippines.

As this distaff trio separately wends their way through Israel's most cosmopolitan city, they struggle with issues of communication, affection and destiny--but at times find uneasy refuge in its tranquil seas. Official site.

Driving to Zigzigland

A chronicle of a day in the life of a Palestinian cab driver in Los Angeles, DRIVING TO ZIGZIGLAND, portrays the social struggle of the Arab immigrant in post-9/11 America. A film audition typecasts Bashar to play an Al Qaeda terrorist role. The utilities are due and Bashar has twenty-four hours to make the money. For the remaining hours left until tomorrow, an unceasing flow of passengers ride in Bashar's taxi and give the Arab cabbie the run-around on issues that deal with suicide bombers, George Bush, Cat Stevens, the war in Iraq, music, and world geography. Bashar's quest to make the money is won until he realizes he has to choose between the Department of Homeland Security and his family. Shot in Los Angeles and Palestine, based on true stories. Official site.