Discoveries from Israel World Cinema

An Israeli soldier returning for her grandfather's shiva is haunted by buried memories and rising conflict with her mother, exposing intergenerational trauma and the cost of silence.

They say the personal is political, and it’s hard to find a story that represents that saying more than the story of Herschel Grynszpan, a 17-year-old Jewish teenager, who found himself in the middle of a historical event on a Biblical scale - Kristallnacht - the event that would kick off the Holocaust. The Germans, by the way, claim that our little Hershel started World War II itself. This documentary presents the full story of this mysterious assassin for the first time, and rolls up one of the thrilling and often forgotten stories that form the greater story of the Holocaust, experienced by European Jews.

A man who's running late to meet his friends at the beach at night runs into a mysterious woman on the way.

A young depressed woman fails from a ladder at work and wakes up in a strange world dressed as a clown. through encounters with mysterious figures' she confronts death and the absurdity of life

After the law allowing every citizen to commit one murder in their lifetime is passed, Rona’s grandmother is killed. As a strong opponent of the law, Rona feels conflicted. Can revenge pay off?

An elderly rabbi is arrested and interrogated by his former student. What begins as a routine interrogation quickly turns into a conversation about morality and lies.

5 kids who returned from Hamas captivity talk about their story from the moment the got kidnapped till their return home

Fifteen-year-old Naka is an anomaly. An honor student in the Northern Israeli town of Nahariya, she glides through Hebrew, English and Arabic fluently, sings in a band, spends too much time on Facebook and dreams of attending the Army high school in preparation for military service. But she is not Israeli. Naka and her family are part of a community of 700 South Sudanese refugees living in Israel since 2007. They are the survivors of the largest genocide since the Holocaust. But in 60 days, she faces deportation back to her war-torn country. Their fate will create an unprecedented fracture in Israeli society. For the first time, Israel has to violently face the mirror of its own History as a people of refugees themselves.

Yinon sits all day at the Ness Ziona bus station, to gain perspective. But he never gets on the bus. He has a close friend - Malkiel, a real rock star. And who is responsible for reminding Yinon that the worst thing is to be an imitation, that you shouldn't let anyone decide for you, that the most dangerous thing is to want to be loved. Until one day, a new girl comes to town - Verdit, disrupting Yinon's boring routine, and life in Ness Ziona will never be the same.

The Seventh Million is a thought-provoking documentary series. It is based on a book by Israeli historian Tom Segev. The film, directed by Benny Brunner and written by Segev, examines some of the most sensitive and previously undisclosed chapters of Israeli history. It explores the Zionist leadership’s ambiguous response to the Holocaust as it was occurring and the challenges that the new state of Israel faced in dealing with the trauma of the Holocaust. The film also portrays the often-negative reception of Holocaust survivors in pre-Israel Palestine and in the new state of Israel, where they were frequently ignored or scorned by a society focused on heroism and the creation of a “new man.”

Twenty-six years after the iconic “Orna and Ella” restaurant opened in Tel Aviv, having become a celebrated culinary institution, Orna Agmon and Ella Shine decided to close their shared life’s work. During the restaurant’s final week, director Tomer Heymann—who worked there for six years and for whom it was much more than just a workplace—documents the intense dynamics of the last days. Farewells to customers, recipes, and staff spark intimate and once-in-a-lifetime conversations. The film reveals the complex relationship between these two groundbreaking women through a spectrum of powerful emotions: love, dependence, conflicting desires, and fears. It boldly raises questions about self-fulfillment, the cost of freedom, and nostalgia for an era that will never return.

A narrative drama that tells the story of Yarin, the class bully, who is dealing with a family crisis. When the new student, Maor, joins the class, Yarin sees him as a convenient target for his frustrations. However, when Daniel, Yarin's friend, approaches Maor because of a shared hobby – magic – the new relationship begins to threaten the bully's status, who tries to pick a fight and hurt him.

Guy comes back from work, doing the same walk he's been doing everyday, straight from the bus station to his house. But this time, the walk may be a little bit different…

Shira is forced to spend the month between high school and joining the army picking peppers in her father's greenhouses. She has not lived with him since her parents' divorce, and their relationship is clouded by charges from the past. Stranger and lonely, in the routine of picking, surrounded by Thai agricultural workers, she begins to find a sense of belonging and home.

A love letter to a childhood friend, a charming 3-way that puts a couple to the test, a first kiss that could change everything... Get your fill of emotions with volume 5 of Les Inshortables! From Israel to Italy and Taiwan, discover six never-before-seen short films from around the world.

Little Minuet can't blow out the candles on her birthday cake and is afraid that her wishes won't come true. Bolero - the metal man, tells Minuet a fairy tale based on her fears: 'In an imaginary and magical kingdom lives Din-Din who loves to sing, drum and dance to the beat. The evil queen, who has three heads, is unable to dance at the party she is holding for herself and therefore decides to ban the use of the butt in the entire kingdom. The ban on the butcher stops life in the kingdom and threatens the life of Ollie - Dean-Din's little brother, whose heart is weak and needs a butcher. Din-Din goes to the palace to undo the evil decree with the stars, the magic drum, her fellow drummers and the townspeople. Will Din-Din be able to save her little brother and the entire kingdom? Join the minuet and through the answers to these questions you will learn about values ​​related to self-belief, love of music and rhythm, tolerance and acceptance of responsibility.

On the first day of the war in Ukraine, Lilia and Max find themselves defenseless. They discover how much courage can be found in a loving heart.

A fairy appears before Tal and her friends, teaching them about the power of happiness, friendship, and how to cope with loss.

Three lighting technicians in the basement of a live music club accidentally release a dark and powerful force buried in the depths of the Holy City... muwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!

After losing his best friend at war, 14 year old 'Or' meets 'Amit', an evacuated kid from the south. A lot of tension is made between the two, yet together they try to cope with the ongoing situation, tethered by the journey of grief.

The Last Righteous Man portrays the story of the Abuhazira family, a Jewish-Moroccan dynasty that has been leading Jewish-Moroccan and Israeli communities for two centuries. Through the story of Baba Sali and his younger brother Baba Khaki, the film reveals a story of a Moroccan aristocratic rabbinical family and its transformation to a leading family in Israel. The film w moves between Morocco and Israel, from the great wave of immigration from Morocco to present-day Israel, through the biography of Baba Sali and Baba Khaki, and the public activity of the second generation: Rabbi Baruch Abuhzira and Aharon Abuhzira, who took the reins of leadership, shaping Israeli culture, society and politics.

After a difficult breakup, a teenage boy is drawn into the deadly - addictive world of dreams

Escalating tensions during soccer games.

Two girls who live in the same building, meet and form a band together. The movie tells the story of how they met, the journey of forming the band and the struggles along the way.

An instructional video of the postal services intended for postal receptionists who provide services to the public (produced by the Israeli Film Service). The film explains how to perform their duties (assistance to customers in sending letters, payments, stamp services, etc) in an orderly, accurate, and courteous manner.

This video for Soul Supreme was created as a graduate project by Tal Uliel from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. It aims to blend an analog aesthetic with 3D compositing, and draws inspiration from risograph printing and abstract geometry.

A "concert film" documenting Windows XP's launch in Israel in October 2001. Originally performed in front of about 2000 journalists, the event became infamous for its musical segments and audacious sketches.

In the shadow of the disengagement from Gaza, west from Ramallah, a new city is under construction, Kiriyat Sefer. In the early hours of the morning, some construction workers from a neighboring Palestinian village, Bilin, walk towards another day of work. Unemployed since the early days of the Second Intifada and drowned into financial debts, Maher Hatib, is forced to work, against his own conscience, in the new settlement that is being built on the village's lands. In a day's work, with scarce time for rest, the words tossed into the air and space open a window to the sentiments of the workers for the land they once cherished. The struggle of the workers remains silent given the paradox of their situation. Their employment supplies the occupation forces that allow the construction of the separation fence and the continuation of the future expansion plans.

After a night out at a Jerusalem gay bar, Aaron finds out that his bag is missing. Unable to return home without it, he receives assistance from Sefi, the bartender. The fates of both will be linked tonight.

A cold night. A winter’s wind unrelenting at the beginning of a connection between Peter and Lily. In the narrow, mysterious streets of Neve Tzedek, in homes built over a century ago, a mere stone’s throw from the sea and Jaffa, Lily and Peter meet, after much pressure from Neli, a 31-year-old architect. Dating in her golden years, 60-year-old Lily, Neli’s mother, is finally ready to meet 76-year-old Peter, a barely known theater actor. Lily has a 31-year-old secret. It will be revealed in the final line of the film.

The third stand up special of the comedian Yonatan Barak

Beta Israel is a Jewish community of several tens of thousands who lived in Ethiopia before the mass repatriation to Israel in the late twentieth century. Ruchama Ehrenhalt's short film is set about the filmmaker's nephew, the son of her sister, a white American-Israeli woman, and her husband, a dark-skinned Ethiopian Jew. Around the age of three, the boy began to notice that he looked nothing like either his «light» mom or his «dark» dad. The film explores the phenomenon of biracial children and how skin color from an early age influences the formation of their identity.

Maya Mcmanus Ronen's debut film focuses on exploring life in the kibbutz of Neot Smadar. This kibbutz was reestablished by a group of like-minded individuals who left Jerusalem and decided to build a cooperative and horizontally structured community. Every couple of years, a significant event takes place here — residents swap houses with each other. What's unique is that no one knows in advance which house they will receive. Maya Ronen's film is an attempt to peer into the unconventional life of this community, understand the rules it lives by, and delve into the intricacies of the regular ritual of house swapping.

Ran returns to the kibbutz where he grew up to visit his father, who recently suffered a heart attack. Ever since Ran became fervently religious, the two have been estranged. Ran is anxious about the impending encounter with his father and the chance for reconciliation, when his van breaks down on the way.

Pickleball, a racket sport similar to tennis, has become a worldwide cultural phenomenon throughout the last couple of decades. This documentary follows professional and amateur pickleballers in Haifa from different backgrounds--Muslim, Christian and Jewish--as they discuss how they put their differences aside to come together as a community.

15 years after he was accused of murdering Tair Rada and sentenced to life in prison, Roman Zadorov’s request for a retrial is accepted. Now, his most important battle commences- proving his innocence.

Ari is from Tel Aviv. Like every year, in honor of Pride Week, he goes out with his friends to celebrate dressed in fairy wings. During the party, a surprising meeting with the mythological ex, June, awakens dormant emotions and sweeps Ari into a night around the city where he will be forced to realise that fairies and princes only exist in fairy tales

November 4th, 1995. Inbar and Sveta, two teenage girls night out on the town, Inbar looking to smoke her first joint, Sveta cannot wait to lose her virginity. During the night, Sveta will meet some guys, Inbar will inhale and Prime Minister Rabin will be shot.

Thousands of lonely Russian-speaking elderlies have become even lonelier due to the pandemic. Stuck at home on their own and unable to communicate in Hebrew, the situation has forced a double isolation on them. The radio, the TV and phone calls with volunteers are their only lifelines.

When Gruf, a graffiti character, falls in love with the street artist who created him, he tries to find her in the shabby streets of Tel Aviv but discovers that inter-dimensional love is not easy.

Jerusalem-born singer Yehoram Gaon takes a musical tour through his native city, highlighting its attractions, culture and people.

Cousins Gabriel and Omer spend the end of their summer break working in a packing warehouse owned by Omer’s dad, Elisha. The film follows the two teenagers, during another routine day at the warehouse from Gabriel’s perspective. Gabriel is a bit of an outsider. He is a slim boy, who likes to observe what’s happening around him while Omer is a much more masculine figure. They play innocent games that become masculinity tests. For the first time in their lives, they will have to understand that every act has consequences.

Librarians documents communities and librarians struggling to preserve books and the culture of reading in the digital age. Will they succeed? How do libraries function these days ad are they able to adapt to changes? What will be the fate of printed books? The movie exposes the unique characters and fascinating life stories of librarians and enthusiastic readers, who are still in need of the smell and touch of books, and the stories and history of the small and remote settlements, mainly Kibbutzim (collective settlements) in the Negev region, in which they live and operate.

Yoni and Shira are seen kissing through the window of the family home by Yoni's mother and suddenly find themselves the object of her attention. Yoni, who is deep in the closet, is torn between her great love and her family, when only a window separates the two.

Following a break-up, a single mother and her only daughter takes refuge in a small hotel in Tel Aviv. In an attempt to pick up the pieces, a fragile relationship is revealed between the daughter hiding behind the camera and the mother’s efforts to reassemble herself and start over.

Shortly after his father's death, Bobby returns to his native England and discovers a suitcase full of documents, letters and photos, documenting the story of his family who perished in the Holocaust - the story his father never told him. He turns to Manuel, his German-born childhood friend, to translate the documents. Manuel, who hails from a family steeped in cinematic history and whose aunt was married to Stanley Kubrick, reveals that he too has recently uncovered a dark family secret: his father's uncle was the infamous Nazi filmmaker Veit Harlan, director of the film "Jud Suss" - banned from screening to the present day and considered the most notorious anti-Semitic propaganda film in history. Together they embark on a voyage to Berlin to discover more about their respective pasts- a journey which puts their friendship to the test.

16-year-old Zohar lives with her younger sister and single mother Debbie, in a poor neighbourhood in Tel Aviv. When a teenage boy comes calling on her at home, tomboy Zohar must deal with first signs of womanhood.

During his show, a TV host is left scared as he recalls a disappointment with his mother, his identity crisis, and a hideous green suit.