Discoveries from Israel World Cinema

A quiet evening road trip becomes a clash between two drivers' desires, one of them who enjoys the ride, and the other trying to get to his destination as fast as possible.

Hardcore techno music, repetitive loops of images from the 1955 movie ‘The Ten Commandments’, international TV news broadcasts of 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, and a video documentation of a belly dancer in the desert, become an apocalyptic Middle East horror rave party, addressing Middle East war and myths representations of in Western media, and the fetishisation of images of war and religion in mass media.

On a regular date between a girl and a boy an unexpected natural twist raises questions about the desires and the urges of modern day people.

Eden, a teenage dancer, is bullied by her classmates on a daily basis. Her loneliness drives her to chase the attention of Neomi, her sensitive and inspiring dance teacher; in hopes of gaining, through her, the closeness she so desperately needs.

At the bachelorette party in her honor, Danny experienced a surprising and intimate night with her best friend. Danny tries to deny that night, but emotions cannot be deleted. Now their friendship would never be as it was, it's either all or nothing.

Mazal is faced with the impossible task of locating her hus- band, who disappeared in 1976 under politically delicate circumstances. In order to do so, she fights against Jew- ish-rabbinical law and the Israely authorities that apparently hide information about her husband’s whereabouts.

A man dreams that he is to bring the Messiah to Jerusalem. The next day he chances upon a white donkey and makes the bold decision to bring it to Jerusalem.

The relations between a mother and son are tested during the preparations for the Passover cleaning ritual when the son decides to burn down the house to set them both free.

A journey of a man and a woman who found themselves in a parallel world - an endless arid desert. With no identity or memory, they cling to the visionary dreams they each have at night, trying to find who they really are.

A group of military-conscription aged young people assemble to play a game simulating the evacuation of a Jewish settlement.

A documentary about the well-known matka player Amnon "The President" Nissim who has been playing matka for 61 years and has dedicated his entire life to matka. The film shows Amnon's tremendous influence on the Israeli matka community, especially in Gordon Beach in Tel Aviv. During the film we meet great characters from the Israeli matka world like the Bruce Lee (of the matka) and Shlomi Dead Sea.

Haim, an elderly man, is lying on his deathbed, as his family members gather to say goodbye to him on his last journey, each in their own absurd way.

An intimate and unexpected night evolves between Hagar, a female taxi driver, and an ultra-Orthodox young man, who she picks up.

Suddenly we were prisoners in our homes. The count of ill and dead began, and we were globally under Siege. I am dancing on the roof. Under the sky, where open landscape meets cement, birds fly freely. I try to fly with them. My movements are limited. I am counting to 100

The stairs of knowledge lead to the light. A curious girl in a dark world tries to reach it, but must face those for whom the light is an obstacle.

a new student makes a mistake

Tal and Yossi are exclusively dating for two months now. An afternoon hot sex interferes with their plans when Yossi's condom disappeared deep in Tal's ass. Now they must deal with an HIV test, a test Tal has never taken yet, and the lost condom that must be found. Nurse Nona comes their aid illuminates the situation in her own special way.

In order to go home for the weekend with the rest of the platoon, a fresh IDF soldier has to complete a one final task in 7 minutes.

Omri is trying to reenact the day his dog died, on the beach when he was 13 years old, but things gets complicated when he discovers that his father remembers events differently.

Nadav Lapid’s first short film.

A one-man campaign for prime minister, unveiling an image of a man who has lost everything. In a crazy election campaign, different voices of Israeli society are heard and Mashiha’s voice suddenly sounds saner than all.

A personal journey into bisexual being, the film exposes the passionate, wild world found by the filmmaker in documenting his relationship with Chen, a rising rock star. Facing the pressure all around him, the filmmaker tries to find a way to feel complete without having to explain. Alongside the personal dilemma is his singular family-his brother, sister and their grand childless parents, who are longing for continuity. Like the men he talks to confidentially, they present him with the main conflict in his live. As the inevitable crisis looms, a new factor emerges and illuminates things in a new light.

An inspiring documentary about a heroic gay Jewish sportsman who ended up in Auschwitz.

A young woman returns to her hometown after years away, only to find herself entangled in a web of emotional conflicts and rekindled romances.

Ohad, the protagonist, is serving in the Israel Defense Forces as a Hesder student. He has not told anyone that he is gay. He tries various ways of dealing with the conflict between his religious beliefs and his sexual orientation, including Atzat Nefesh. He is told to spend forty days fasting and repenting to help rid him of his homosexual inclinations. He does this and believes himself to be cured. After this, his best friend, Nir, returns from leave. Ohed is torn between his homosexuality and his religion. The film deals with the struggles Ohed faces when it comes to loving God and loving Nir.

Beit Alfa, the first kibbutz of the socialist Hashomer Hatzair movement, is facing a severe financial crisis. In an attempt to escape mounting debts, the members must confront a decision that shakes the foundations of the community and challenges the ideological spirit of its founding generation: whether to make the kibbutz dining hall, the vibrant center of communal life, kosher. With both sadness and humor, the debate raises fundamental questions and exposes the dramatic transformations the kibbutz movement has undergone, as well as the gradual collapse of the socialist ideals that shaped it during its early decades.

GoodnighTomer is the best stage late night performer in the world!

Rinat and her friend Guy meet Clara and the talking tree and sing Naomi Shemer's songs

Interpretation of the Adam & Eve story.

In China, over 69 million children have been left behind by their parents in their home villages while they migrate to big cities to survive. Qui Che (14) was left by his mother with his grandparents. He was 4 years old when his father tragically took his own life due to their financial situation. He grew up lonely with unbearable burdens to help his grandparents with farm work. He vents his difficulties by writing diaries that provide a glimpse into his inner world. His story reveals a personal journey filled with emotional, familial, and societal challenges, especially the absence of his mother, who returns home once in three years. The film is a microcosm of the universal migration tendencies around the world.

Abraham Wasserman, a Holocaust survivor who had lost his entire family in the camps, and who has since turned his back on God is an elderly farmer living in a small, rural community. Of his two daughters, one still lives with him whilst the other has become ultra-orthodox. The relationship with his immediate family is complex, as is the one with his grandchildren and the other locals in the community which, over the years, has grown increasingly religious. It is a drought year and Abraham, for whom working the field is his whole life, finds himself at a critical juncture: he stands to lose everything – his livelihood, his family; even his hatred of God which is keeping him alive. In this time of crisis, he is left with no choice but to seek out the same God whom he had forsaken; and pray.

Deceived by a “fake news” conspiracy, Shakespearean hero Otello is driven by jealous rage to murder his innocent wife Desdemona.

A tough security agent is tasked with guarding a circumcision ceremony attended by the Prime Minister. A clown armed with a live rabbit threatens to infiltrate the security rings and disrupt the impeccable order in which the State of Israel operates.

Gabriel is a young poet who floats above the boring reality of his life. When the hotel where he works as a security guard hosts a poetry reading evening, he decides to burst onto the stage. Gabriel is sure that if he only succeeds in impressing the host of the evening, a famous poet, he will finally gain recognition and fulfill his dream. But reality is about to collide with him at full force.

Major Aviad Zilber is an anxious military man going out to celebrate the reception of a new rank. A dreadful turn of events lead him on a midnight journey that bounds the thin line between reality and a nightmare.

After their son is killed during his army service, Irit and Asher asked to extract his sperm and use it to have a child via surrogate. Empty Room raises ethical and scientific questions while taking the audience on a journey of hope and deep sorrow.

Aya is young, sensitive and very much in love. Love, in fact, is her essence. When she realizes that her boyfriend is about to break up with her, she runs away in a desperate attempt to hide from the inevitable.

Through never-before- revealed dramatic testimonies of Israeli ex-soldiers and Palestinian ex-detainees and previously unpublished videos and stills, the film tells the story of the Israel's controversial al-Ansar POW camp in Lebanon. Although Israel and Lebanon are still enemies, we were able to reveal the 40 years old secret.

Nina treats her son’s Psoriasis disease in the Dead Sea. During the long hours her son is in treatment, Nina is left by herself and begins to drift away into a hazy voyage, daydreaming of another life.

Tuesday’s Women adapts a short story by Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami about a man already in turmoil who finds himself further mystified by a number of women he meets one Tuesday.

A close friendship is tested when a German woman discovers she is the Black granddaughter of notorious Nazi commander Amon Goeth and her Israeli friend realizes her grandmother was the sole survivor of a Nazi execution in Poland. This deft animation visually articulates complex questions about identity, fate and history, as well as the friends' internal conflict. Can their relationship withstand the horrors of the past?

Like lost girls on a winter's day, Alona and Hagar ramble through the streets of Haifa. One is escaping her life, the other her future.

A woman who has lived in Vienna for more than fifty years leaves home and immigrates to Israel. In her last week there, she has to pack up, break up, come to terms with the loss of her husband, and examine her relationship with her son.

A crisis in a young woman's life forces her to return to her parents' home. Her reappearance shakes the delicate balance in the family nest.

A brief look at Yuval's life, as he struggles with drugs and smoking, lack of inspiration and loneliness. Where he lives it seems that no one is able to understand his dreams and desires.

Naama lives on her own and is addicted to crystal meth. The story of an addicted but brave woman who has not lost faith in herself.

In the range between autobiography and fiction, male & female - Ella nurses, dancing and waiting for her lover.

This extraordinary window onto Israeli society explores how the need to move, shift, and be in constant motion has produced generations of great dancers and choreographers that have turned the country’s modern dance community into an international success story. Through the works of leading choreographers Ohad Naharin, Rami Be'er, and Yasmeen Godder, the film delves into the exotic and vibrant world of Israeli dance culture, showcasing spectacular performances, rich archival material, interviews, and more to create a unique and surprising view of Israeli society and one of its most exciting and joyful aspects.

Here and Now is an authentic social drama told through the eyes of Andrey, a young immigrant living with her little sister in the slums of the city of Ashdod and struggling to assimilate into Israeli society.

A chapter in the life of two friends in Tel Aviv. This peeking into their homes begins when Shir, Noy's younger sister, comes to visit him from the Kibbutz, when he'd rather throw her onto Mike - the perfect host. At his apartment, she is introduced to his anonymous blog on the Internet - an ongoing story in the first person, about a special air-hostess who lives in the shadows of the city, a bit like the author who invented her. Shir suggests giving her face to the storyteller, thus forcing Mike out of his self-afflicted anonymity.

A picturesque fishermen village overlooking the Mediterranean, Paradise is a Palestinian enclave inside the state of Israel, with a history that ecoes stories of a massacre and deportation. When the director investigates the secret past of her village Paradise, she uncovers more than she expected. Before she knows it, she is warned by her mother: "don't be like Sou'ad" - referring to the sad story about a rebellious "bad girl" whose story became a myth in the village. Accused and imprisoned as a PLO activist back in the 70's, Sou'ad is more than just a role model for the young director. But when she deepening her research, her trouble really begins. A filmic-diary about recreating a lost history, and about re-defining modern womanhood within the traditional village life.

Aqabat-Jaber is one of the sixty Palestinian refugee camps built in the Middle East by the UN at the beginning of the 1950s. Filmed in 1987, a few months before the Intifada, this film tells the story of a disinherited generation brought up in the nostalgia of places they never knew and which no longer exist. The story of a temporary solution that became a permanent way of life.

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