A History of Israeli Cinema

Israel as a nation is far younger than motion pictures; in fact, its modern identity has been formed in parallel with the medium of film. Israeli films, when seen unfolding over time as they do in this engrossing retrospective documentary, reveal a cinematic national identity that encapsulates the emotional reality of a country often torn by ethnic, religious and political conflicts. Award-winning filmmaker Raphaël Nadjari (Tehilim, SFJFF 2008) weaves together in-depth research and extraordinary film clips spanning more than 60 years to give us a kaleidoscopic visual retelling of the history of a national cinema. Dividing his film chronologically, Nadjari has crafted an assemblage of fascinating interviews with leading Israeli actors, producers, film critics, scholars and filmmakers, laced with film sequences spanning early silent films to the present-day renaissance of the Israeli film industry. Part One begins in 1933 with visions of the Zionist dream and takes us to1978, when themes of memory and loss share the spotlight. The second part, from 1978 to 2005, vibrantly depicts the wave of political films from the 1980s contrasted to the more personal cinema of today. Interviewees include Amos Gitai, Joseph Cedar, Avi Mograbi, Yehuda Ne’eman, Menachem Golan, Moshe Ivgy and Zeev Revach. A “must see” for any fan of Israeli cinema and a fabulous introduction for the uninitiated. —Janis Plotkin

From 2008 Festival: Director, Israel Raphael Nadjari (born 1971 in Marseille, France) is a French born writer and director for film and television. In 1993, Nadjari started working for French television as a writer and director. In 1997, he wrote the television screenplay Le P'tit Bleu, which was directed by Francois Vautier for Arte as part of the TV drama collection Petits Gangsters. The same year he wrote and directed his first US feature, The Shade (released in 1999), which starred Richard Edson, Lorie Marino, and Jeff Ware). It was an adaptation of A Gentle Creature by Dostoevsky that Nadjari updated, setting it in contemporary New York. This film was an Official Selection ("Un Certain Regard") at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival and also appeared at the Deauville Film Festival, the film was awarded in Bergamo Film Festival (Italy). At the end of 1999, Raphael directed his second feature, I Am Josh Polonski's Brother (2001). Starring Richard Edson and Jeff Ware, it was shot on Super 8 mm film in New York. The film opened in Paris on June 6, 2001 and was selected for the Forum for New Cinema at the Berlin Film Festival in 2001. Also in 2001, Nadjari shot a film in New York, Apartment #5c (released in 2002). It starred Richard Edson and Tinkerbell an Israeli actress and was selected in Cannes' "Director's Forthnight." In 2004, Nadjari shot Avanim in Tel Aviv, Israel with Assi Levy who has been nominated for Best Actress in the European Film Award. The film received also The Best film award in Cinéma Tout Ecran and the Best director film Award in Cannes 2005 France Culture Award. His latest film set in Jerusalem and stars Michael Moushanov and Limor Goldstein, two prominent figures of Israeli television and theatre has been shown in Cannes Film Festival 2007 in Official Selection and won the Tokyo Filmex Best Film Award the same year. He lives now between Tel Aviv and Paris. Filmography: 1. Tehilim (2007) (writer) 2. Avanim (2004) (writer) 3. Apartment #5C (2002) (writer) ... aka Apartment #5C (France) 4. I Am Josh Polonski's Brother (2001) (writer) ... aka I Am Josh Polonski's Brother (France) 5. P'tit bleu, Le (2000) (TV) (writer) 6. The Shade (1999) (writer)