CLOSE U P
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barak&tomer heymann
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The 28th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is proud to present a Close Up look at the dynamic filmmaking team of brothers Barak and Tomer Heymann. We will screen six of the Heymann brothers’ documentary films in three programs: Bridge Over the Wadi (2006) and Black Over White (2007); Out of Focus (2007) and Dancing Alfonso (2007); and It Kinda Scares Me (2001) and Stalags— Holocaust and Pornography in Israel (2007, directed by Ari Libsker and produced by Barak Heymann). The Heymann brothers might be documentary’s answer to the Coen brothers in terms of their shared artistic vision as siblings and creative partners. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find more humor, quirkiness or pathos in the Coen brothers’ dramas than you will in the Tel Aviv–based Heymann brothers’ collected documentaries. Their films are often bellwethers of entire social phenomena that lurk beneath the radar of Israeli society, captured with fluid camerawork, intimacy and a finely honed sense of the humanity and uniqueness of their subjects. Ours is a generous sampling of the work of these talented directors to watch: Bridge Over the Wadi captures the struggles and tenacity of the teachers, students and parents during the first year of a bicultural, bilingual Jewish/Arab school located in an Arab village.
Black Over White offers a rollicking portrait of Israeli world music band The Idan Raichel Project’s trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where one of the musicians is reunited with his grandmother. Out of Focus and Dancing Alfonso are two of the best dance documentaries you could hope to set your eyes on: a rare opportunity to witness the creative process of veteran choreographer Ohad Naharin (Batsheva Dance Company), and a pitch-perfect portrait of a vital widower who finds community and creativity in the world of flamenco. It Kinda Scares Me was Tomer Heymann’s breakthrough film (preceding his Paper Dolls). It depicts his relationship with a group of delinquent adolescent boys who are creating a play together. It screens with the absolutely fascinating documentary Stalags, which investigates pornographic representations in Holocaust literature in Israel. —Nancy K. Fishman Barak and Tomer Heymann will be present at the Castro screenings of Bridge Over the Wadi and Black Over White on July 26 (see page 14), and Out of Focus and Dancing Alfonso on July 27 (see page 23).