Discoveries from Israel World Cinema

After his girlfriend Michelle goes missing, Eitan embarks on a journey back in time in order to take back the love that was taken from him.

Ruthie spends an unusual night with a guy from her village. After discovering the troubling circumstances that led to their unexpected romantic encounter, she must seek the truth and find her own way to confront him.

A family of four in a car are going through the desert to meet relatives who have come to visit from abroad. A dispute over the music in the cd player is all it takes for the pressure cooker to blow and the family to descend into complete and utter disarray.

A comedy that depicts the life of Matzliah, a high school student who wants to capture the heart of his girlfriend Romy, but can do so only by obtaining a driver's license. The plot describes Matzliah's way of obtaining the license as he goes through many obstacles and all in order to get his lover back.

This is one of the stories in which it is hard to believe. Shlomo Cohen-Abarbanel, an Israeli Mossad secret agent who worked undercover in Egypt managed to convince everybody that he was a French abstractionist painter Charduval - and even sold some of his works depicting naive and primitive scenes from the life of the mysterious East. He became the subject of this post-documentary film (one that is beyond the feature/documentary division), around which its director Tamir Zadok, who also appears in "Art Undercover", created an entire exhibition in the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in 2018. Tamir travels to Cairo in order to find Charduval’s paintings that were sold to the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, while also trying not to give his identity away. This way Zadok is also creating art undercover, brilliantly carrying on the tradition of artistic espionage, alternating documentary episodes with scenes that but imitate real-life footage. The film becomes a match to the subject it explores.

Shaul, Etti, Illana and Eddi. Each one of these in his own unique, special way, is trying to improve in life. In the end, their desires become revealing dreams that all wish to attain or, at least, to get close to their objectives. The heterogeneous group consisting of Shaul, Etti, Illana and Eddi wake to reality and, in Zur Hadassim, they discover that their dream has always been and always will be ?close to our heart, but far from our reach?.

Oren (27) comes to his parents’ house to pack his belongings before moving with his girlfriend to their new apartment. During this day, out of seemingly simple interactions, the family dynamics reveals itself, and exposes the protagonist’s place- between child and adult, between intimacy and alienation. The house constitutes the space in which past, present and future mix into a chronicle of separation. Winner of San Sebastian International Film Festival short competition.

"Shalom Lach Sigal" (1996) is a gripping Israeli crime-drama based on the tragic life events of Mizrahi singer Tamir Gal, who stars as himself. After serving time in prison, Tamir tries to save his beloved sister, Sigal, from her drug-addicted boyfriend, Motti. When Sigal mysteriously disappears and a body is found, Tamir is wrongfully accused of an "honor killing," forcing him to embark on a desperate quest to uncover the truth about her fate.

In the 1970s, a new protest movement burst into Israeli politics. Calling themselves the Black Panthers, this group of rebellious young Mizrahi men was intensely critical of racism and class bias within the Israeli establishment.

Tom is a talented teenager who dreams of being accepted into “Young Stars,” but he experiences ongoing bullying at school that undermines his confidence. Just before the most important audition of his life, he breaks down, runs away from everything, and accidentally finds himself in a mysterious laboratory. There, he meets Thomas, “the crazy scientist,” and the two set off on a musical, funny, and emotional journey together. Throughout the adventure, Tom confronts his fears and the question of who he truly is. With the help of the Identity Potion, he discovers his inner strengths, gathers courage, decides not to give up, and returns to the audition to give it his all.

The story of the football team "Jerusalem Lions" that embarks on a once in a lifetime journey to represent Israel in the International Homeless World Cup. An event that will turn the lives of eight players upside down and force them to face reality through a football tournament.

When the inner world of Layla meets reality, her fantasy, of being accepted as a woman is being shaken by Jaffa's night.

A photo shop owner and her grandson join forces to save the shop and the nearly one million negatives that document Israel's defining moments.

This short documentary tells the story of Or, a determined young man whose dream is to be accepted into an elite unit in the army. Driven by ambition and a strong sense of purpose, Or pushes himself through intense physical and mental training, facing exhaustion, doubt, and setbacks along the way. Through his daily struggle and perseverance, the film captures the price of ambition and the unwavering determination required to chase a demanding goal.

In a not too far dystopian future, a couple is trying to obtain a foreign passport in order to leave Israel. It turns out that the price of emigrating will force them to make dramatic choices.

At 80 years of age, Colonel David Rokni is preparing to command the national ceremony of Israel's Independence Day. Just like in each of the last 30 years, he goes through an arduous series of training, routine formation and foot drills for the traditional military parade - a job no other person is capable of. A week before the ceremony, disaster strikes unexpectedly. For the first time, Rokni has to cope with an unfamiliar situation during a ceremony that would transform his life.

Matan Peretz with part one of his new special about his childhood, his younger sister, and how it was being a religious teenager.

The work is an extension of the director’s earlier film Mary Nightmares from 2007.

Peter is having a secret relationship with his married neighbor, Roje. He tries to convince him to leave his wife so they can live together, but Roje refuses and asks for more time. Peter is tired of waiting and demands from Roje to make a decision.

A couple on the beach discuss their relationship. They reminisce about how wonderful things once were and find themselves wondering whether that was indeed the case, whilst at the same time also dreading the future. At the same time, a second couple – two elderly men whom we meet, both live entirely in the past whilst dreading the present.

A loving portrait of A.B. Yehoshua, the prominent Israeli writer. Dealing with a terminal illness, widowhood, and loneliness, but does not for one moment give up his joi de vivre, faces death with unflinching honesty, and still embraces a new book. A rare and fascinating look at one of Israel’s most beloved writers, who passed away in 2022.

Four Israeli startup teams sacrifice their families, their friends, and their bank accounts to pursue their startup dreams. Throughout their journey, catch an intimate and exciting glance into how "Startup Nation" really works.

10 o'clock, Saturday morning. A group of elderly women and men carry plastic lawn chairs across the Mount Herzl National Cemetery in Jerusalem. In the shade of an old pine tree, they sit down, in a circle and discuss matters sublime and elevated. For over two decades, the "Mt. Herzl Academy has held its weekly meeting at this cemetery. Seated between the graves of the nation's dignitaries, they debate the history of modern philosophy, read poetry, eat lunch and determine the fate of the Jewish nation. Director Tali Shemesh has been following the "Academy" for the last 5 years, focusing on two members: Minia, the director's grandmother, and Lena, her great aunt. The film unravels the jagged, intense, almost impossible relationship between these two extremely different women, who each bereaved of the man she loved remain bound together by history and Fate.

Ron a handsome Israeli gay man wants a kiss on his birthday. When he tries to get it from Sahar, a beautiful blonde hustler in a black leather jacket things don't go quite as planned.

Eitan Kalish is a fictitious character of a student documentary film. A small -time friendly ecstasy deal he sets up unexpectedly goes to distance, when the Israeli Defense Forces are re-occupying Palestinian land, causing 1000 pills to fall into his lap. He sets up the ultimate poetic statement: selling the pills in the coming "Anti Occupation Rave" in Tel Aviv.

After writer Nir Baram began losing his belief in the-two state solution, he embarks on journey to see the Occupation firsthand. He meets people on both sides of the conflict and asks difficult questions. Gradually he discovers some surprising and astonishing truths that will make him reevaluate the situation.

Maor and his younger brother Dolev live with their father in a quiet, middle-class neighborhood. On the eve of a holiday, during a game of hide-and-seek, Dolev mysteriously disappears.

Four friends embark on their annual road trip, navigating real-life challenges that test their bond and reveal the strength of their bond, with the result revealed in front of the camcorder.

Lucy is a young Nissan Nativ student who gets Boaz Levy, a famous actor in his late 40s, to hit on her. Between acting classes, snooping around his apartment and taking his dog for a walk she must find out. Does she know what love really looks like?

The tragic story of Haim Arlosoroff, a jewish leader fighting for his principles and values in the early stages of Zionism.

A film about the work and persona of the artist Yaacov Agam, using a display of movement, form, and rhythm.

US director Samuel Fuller once compared filmmaking to a battlefield – an observation which proves itself above and beyond whilst watching Erez Laufer’s documentary, Total Loss – in which he follows the making of director Gur Bentvich’s film, Total Love (2000) on location round the world – from Tel Aviv and Amsterdam to Rishikesh and Goa. Beyond the cross-continent physical journey, Laufer also chronicles the emotional-artistic journey undertaken by director Bentvich, screenwriter Etgar Keret, the principal cast featuring Maor Cohen and Tinkerbell, and the rest of the production crew. At the heart of the film is the task of “guerilla conditions” filmmaking vs. the anarchy and flurry of surprises that reality keeps springing on the crew, including volatile weather, over-the-top actors and the countless constraints imposed on the production by the Indian authorities. This is a film about filmmaking, friendship, and creation.

An utopian road film in which two young friends leave Tel Aviv and embark on a backpacking trip through the neighboring state of Palestine, about five years after it has gained independence. Upon their arrival they are greeted with love and smiles by children holding balloons, but they soon discover that the young nation is dealing with some growing pains.

Inside look into the Israeli pornography industry

This film by ‘Shalhin Productions – Children’s Educational Films’ features the stories of the students and teachers at Rishon LeZion’s Rosen School (just outside Tel Aviv), through which it tackles a range of educational hot topics. The children grapple with violence and bullying incidents in the schoolyard, a spate of thefts in the classroom, personal labels and stigmas, and the immense challenge of shaking those off, and concepts such as friendship and respect. Ben and Nimrod, who fail to offer their seats to an elderly woman at the bus stop, are given an educational ‘punishment’ in the form of having to go to the woman’s home and keep her company; Yael, meanwhile, must come to terms with her parents’ divorce; whereas Ronen, whose dad had recently been sacked from his job, befriends a pair of young thugs who start showering him with gifts – all of which are stolen.

My future is more important than anything. Assi (17) meets up with his friend to study for exam. But everything changes when a friend from his past shows up at his house while running from the police. He hides at their place and brings only trouble with him. From that moment, things only get worse and the tension keeps growing.

Amidst the harsh Israeli desert, 16-year-old deaf Akram and his cousin tend to their 120 cows, struggling to provide them with water. Despite his duties, Akram dreams of spending his days driving carelessly in his Subaru Impreza. He remains determined to balance his responsibilities and chase his dreams, no matter the cost.

A writer's block leads a struggling screenwriter to a walk in the park, that will change his life.

Following a break-in at his home, something cracks in the unity of Roy’s family and leaves open scars. Roy, a decorated special forces fighter in the past, decides not to remain indebted and takes "the law" into his own hands.

A fast-paced and entertaining documentary about the people who simply cannot keep quiet.

Wise-guy Amsalem is going through difficult times. His father is moving into a nursing home, and he is forced to attend a support group, there he learns to connect with his emotions.

The story of a young transgender woman told in her own voice after leaving her childhood home, on a journey of self-discovery in the heart of the desert.

In the first years of the State of Israel, numerous new immigrants were tasked with establishing agricultural “immigrant settlements” to bolster the country’s agricultural sector.

A docudramatic film made when the Hebrew University reached its 25th anniversary. The film’s main character is a professor of geology, who works on his speech in honor of the anniversary celebrations. He describes the university in the days before the establishment of the state, describing the close connection between scientific research and the development of the country – such as finding water sources or treating malaria. The second part of the film deals with the War of Independence, the abandonment of the Mount Scopus campus, and the finding of alternatives, while in all these the ambition to continue the tradition of learning and teaching is preserved.

Michal Ben Uzia's MANIFESTATION is a short film that doesn't ask to be understood by it's viewers.

Ali, a young Palestinian, comes to Israel for a home visit after a long absence. Following a cold welcome, he decides to seek peace for a few days in the desert of Sinai, Egypt, before he will have to deal with the harsh return to the place he has left behind. After telling one little lie on the way, Ali finds himself embroiled in an unexpected identity crisis on the beautiful beaches of Sinai.

9 Years after starting his youtube channel, israeli youtuber "Inde Game" became the first israeli youtuber to reach 1M subscribers. To celebrate the milestone he created this documentary film about his story and his long way on youtube

An unexpected earthquake leads a young shepherd with sheep into a fantastic and comic quest to return home again.

In 2005, on the first day of school at a special education institution in Ness Ziona, a chance encounter changed the lives of two young girls, Michal and Paz. What began as a quiet suspicion-sparked by Mali, Paz's mother, who noticed a striking resemblance between the girls-soon became a dramatic revelation. After several months of anticipation, during which the mothers documented themselves and their daughters, came official confirmation from the state: Michal and Paz, both adopted as infants, are biological sisters born to the same parents. Now, as they celebrate their eighteenth birthday, the two set out on an emotional journey to explore the story of their shared past.

A war recreated for the filming of a movie leads to the fleeing of an entire village in the Golan Heights; weapons are planted in the home of a Palestinian family in East Jerusalem to stage an action scene; and a props and weapons man is revealed to be suffering from PTSD while dealing with moral trauma. The trilogy examines the ethical aspects of reenactment and how militarism's grip on Israeli society (also) corrupts cinema.

August 2021: International forces withdraw from Afghanistan as the Taliban swiftly takes over, imposing Sharia Law. Four prominent Afghan women, now fugitives, put their faith in an impromptu group of activists devoted to saving their lives as world superpowers retreat.

In a world shaped by oppression and manufactured enemies, three exhausted laborers return home seeking solace, only to be met with televised propaganda that fuels their growing discontent. As their frustration mounts, manipulated by an all-encompassing system designed to control and exhaust them, their anger erupts into a final act of defiance