Signaler: Israel / Signals: Israel

Signaler: Israel

SIgNALS: ISRAEL

Two years ago, Tromsø International Film Festival presented a sidebar of four films that showed initiatives of peace and solidarity between Israelis and Palestinians. Under the heading «Peace and Reconciliation», these films gave us hope that trust and cooperation can replace suspicion and aggression – at least on an individual level. On a political and structural level, such hope is hard to maintain. Two months ago, the Israel/Palestine conflict again erupted into more or less open warfare, and the political stalemate continues over the recognition of a Palestinian state.

Which makes this sidebar of films from Israel all the more urgent. Its title «Signals: Israel», points to its ambition: to eavesdrop on a highly complex and conflicted society. Its inhabitants come from all over the world, and from a range of cultural backgrounds. Whether they are orthodox Jews from Jerusalem or secular Tel Aviv cosmopolitans, settlers in occupied territories, Israeli Arabs or desert nomads, they have very different visions for their society.

This section presents five of last year’s best films from Israel. Each in their own respect, they present inside perspectives on Israeli society. fill the void is an inside look at a family of orthodox Hasidic Jews in Jerusalem. Herself a member of the community, the director investigates the practice of arranged marriages from a surprising and thought-provoking angle. the cutoff man is a debut fiction feature about the limits of social and personal solidarity. Set in Northern Israel, it follows a working class father trying to make ends meet.

The three remaining titles all deal more directly with the Israel/Palestine conflict. soldier/citizen follows Israeli soldiers as they take a course in civic ethics. Their intense debates about human rights and tolerance reveal some striking paradoxes of Israel’s statehood. It documents on-the-groundattitudes towards the conflict, whereas the gatekeepers engages the top of the power hierarchy. Here, six former heads of Israeli intelligence and security reveal their role in «counter-terrorism» campaigns with astonishing candor. Lastly, the fiction feature the attack is set in Tel Aviv and tells of a well-integrated Palestinian surgeon whose life is turned upside-down in the aftermath of a suicide attack.

Whatever view we hold of Israel’s role in the ongoing conflict – ruthless aggressor, or victim of suspicion and terror – we owe it to ourselves to try to understand the dynamics of Israeli society and the dilemmas of its inhabitants. Presenting this sidebar is our modest contribution.

THE ATTACK

L’ATTENTAT

bELgIum, EgYPT, FRANCE, LEbANON, qATAR 2012 DIRECTOR: Ziad Doueiri SCREENPLAY: Joëlle Touma, Ziad Doueiri CINEmATOgRAPHY: Tommaso Fiorilli CAST: Ali Suliman, Reymond Amsalem, Evgenia Dodina, Karim Saleh RuNNINg TImE: 1h 42m PRODuCER: Wild Bunch

Den høyt respekterte palestinske legen Amin Jaafari er assimilert inn i det israelske samfunnet. Han er kirurg ved et av Tel Avivs beste sykehus, har gode venner, solid økonomi, høy status og en kone han elsker. Idyllen nærmest varsler at noe fatalt er i emning: «Livet er fullt av feller og hundeskit», som en politietterforsker i filmen uttrykker det. En katastrofal hendelse inntreffer, som snur fullstendig opp ned på Jaafaris tilværelse og hans bilde av sin kone. Han vender blikket inn i seg selv og tvinges til å tenke gjennom sin egen historie.

På brutalt vis tematiserer the attack den voldsspiralen som er resultat av gjensidig politisk mistenksomhet mellom israelere og palestinere. Men et annet motiv er vel så fremtredende som det politiske, nemlig den tragiske menneskelige dimensjonen. Hvordan er det mulig å leve sammen i kjærlighet uten å se sin elskede slik vedkommende virkelig er?

Amin Jaafari is Palestinian, but well assimilated into Israeli society. He works as a surgeon in one of the best hospitals in Tel Aviv, he has friends, a solid economy, a beautiful home and a lovely wife. However, we anticipate that something fatal is going to happen: «Life is filled with booby-traps and dogshit», as one of the charachters puts it. Soon, a catastrophic incident occurs which shatters the good doctor’s grip on reality. He embarks on a journey, and is forced to confront his own past and re-think what made him into the man he is today.

the attack takes us head first into the spiral of violence that results from the constant mutual suspicion in the Middle East. It also explores a fundamental human dimension of this conflict: How is it possible to have a tender and loving relationship and still not see your loved one the way he or she really is?

REgISSØREN

Ziad Doueiri (f. 1963) er fra Libanon, men har studert film i USA. Han er blant annet kjent for å ha arbeidet som kameramann for Quentin Tarantino på filmer som DE HENSYNSLØSE og PULP FICTION. Han regidebuterte med den selvbiografiske WEST BEIRUT, som ble hyllet av filmkritikere verden over.

THE DIRECTOR

Ziad Doueiri (b. 1963) is from Lebanon, but studied filmmaking in the United States. He has worked as cameraman on several features by Quentin Tarantino, including RESERVOIR DOGS and PULP FICTION. His first feature as a director, the autobiographical WEST BEIRUT, was lauded by film critics all over the world.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

1998 À L’ABRI LES ENFANTS / WEST BEIRUT 2004 LILA DIT ÇA / LILA SAYS

THE CuTOFF mAN

mENATEK HA-mAIm

ISRAEL 2012 DIRECTOR: Idan Hubel SCREENPLAY: Idan Hubel CINEmATOgRAPHY: Itai Marom CAST: Moshe Ivgy, Yoval Rahav, Na’ama Shapira, Tom Yefet RuNNINg TImE: 1h 16m PRODuCER: Eitan Mansuri SOuRCE: Urban Distribution International

I filmens megetsigende åpningsscene trer én mann omsider tydelig fram fra mengden: en mistrøstig noen-og-førti år gammel fyr i køen på et arbeidskontor. Gabi har en familie å forsørge, og tar motvillig imot jobben med å kutte vannforsyningen til folk som ikke har betalt for seg. Innbitt går han fra bakgård til bakgård med skiftenøklene sine. De som ser ham, spotter ham og gir ham skylda for sitt eget uføre. En dag får Gabi ordre om å kutte vannet til en person med stor innflytelse over hans egens sønn framtid. Dét stiller Gabis lojalitet og overlevelsesevne på prøve.

the cutoff man er en liten, men tankevekkende film der ett nøkkelspørsmål er hvilke kår samholdet og solidariteten har i dagens Israel. Det ytre landskapet gir et tvetydig svar: Her er solsvidde, nådeløse bygater, skyggefulle bakgårder der Gabi kan drømme seg bort – og dører som lukkes og holdes på gløtt.

Our hero Gabi makes a living off the hardship of others. He is a cuttoff man, someone who sneaks into other people's backyards to disconnect their water when the bills are not paid. He gets 11 shekels for each disconnection: It is meager pay, but with a family to support Gabi has no choice. He becomes a hated man, a representation of a heartless system and an easy target for the frustration of others. Then a conflict arises between Gabi's professional duties and his own son's prospects...

Set in the arid northern provinces of Israel, the film lays bare some of the structural limitations of solidarity in Israel of today. It is also a portrait of an individual caught between dreams and harsh realities. Moshe Ivgy does a subtle interpretation of the tormented Gabi.

REgISSØREN

Idan Hubel er fra Nahariya nord i Israel. Han er utdannet ved Sam Spiegel-skolen for film og tv i Jerusalem. THE CUTOFF MAN er hans første spillefilm.

THE DIRECTOR

Idan Hubel grew up in northern Israel in the town of Nahariya. He graduated from the Sam Spiegel School of Film and Television in Jerusalem. THE CUTOFF MAN is his first feature film.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

2002 BEN ABA (SHORT) 2004 TEHINA / PLEADING (SHORT) 2011 GABI RAEV ME-OD / GABY IS VERY HUNGRY (SHORT)

FILL THE VOID

LEmALE ET HA’HALAL

ISRAEL 2012 DIRECTOR: Rama Burshtein SCREENPLAY: Rama Burshtein CINEmATOgRAPHY: Asaf Sudry CAST: Hadas Yaron, Irit Sheleg, Yiftach Klein, Renana Raz, Ido Samuel, Yael Tal RuNNINg TImE: 1h 30m PRODuCER: Assaf Amir SOuRCE: The Match Factory

fill the void gir et sjeldent innblikk i livet til en ung kvinne i en ortodoks hasidisk-jødisk familie i Tel Aviv. 18 år gamle Shira ser fram til å bli giftet bort til en ung mann av god familie. Men så dør hennes eldre søster i barsel med sitt første barn. I sorgen som følger utsettes Sharims ekteskapsinngåelse, og snart blir alt enda mer komplisert: Søsterens enkemann Yochay kan ikke ha aleneansvar for et lite barn, og familien hans presser på for at han skal gifte seg på nytt – og ta barnet med seg inn i en ny familie.

Etter hvert må Shira ta avgjørende valg for sitt eget liv. Lagt i et miljø hvor ekteskap er en pakt med Gud og varer til døden skiller en ad, er fill the void merkelig og fascinerende i sin formidling av dilemmaene til en ung kvinne under press, ikke minst av sine egne idealer.

fill the void tells the story of an Orthodox Hassidic family from Tel Aviv. Eighteen-year-old Shira is the youngest daughter of the family. She is about to be married off to a young man of the same age and background. Shira feels prepared and excited, but suddenly her twenty-eight-year-old sister, Esther, dies while giving birth to her first child. Shira’s promised match is postponed, and things take an unexpected turn when Yochav, Esther’s husband, is offered to re-marry with a widow from Belgium.

When the girls’ mother finds out that Yochay may leave the country with her only grandchild, she makes a startling proposition: one that will force Shira to choose between her obedience to her family and her heart’s desire.

REgISSØREN

Rama Burshtein (f. 1967) er utdannet ved Sam Spiegel Film and Television School i Jerusalen. I løpet av studietida ble hun dypt religiøs, og har siden viet sin tid til å lage film for og om det ortodokse miljøet, og undervise i film der. FILL THE VOID er hennes første spillefilm.

THE DIRECTOR

Rama Burshtein (b. 1967) graduated from the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in Jerusalem in 1994. Having become deeply religious during her years there, she has dedicated her time to directing and teaching film for the orthodox community. FILL THE VOID is her first feature film.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

2012 FILL THE VOID

THE gATEKEEPERS

SHOmREI HA-SAF

ISRAEL, bELgIum, FRANCE, gERmANY 2012 DIRECTOR: Dror Moreh SCREENPLAY: Dror Moreh CINEmATOgRAPHY: Avner Shahaf RuNNINg TImE: 1h 35m PRODuCER: Estelle Fialon, Dror Moreh, Philippa Kowarsky SOuRCE: Cinephil

Portvokterne – «the gatekeepers» – i denne filmen er seks menn, alle tidligere ledere av Israels sikkerhetstjeneste Shin Bet. Organisasjonen har lagt ned store ressurser i å infiltrere og overvåke den palestinske befolkningen, men også ekstreme politiske krefter innad i Israel. Filmen blander arkivklipp med intervjuer der de seks forteller om organisasjonens metoder og filosofi.

At regissør Dror Moreh har fått disse maktas menn i så tydelig tale, er oppsiktsvekkende i seg selv. I det ene øyeblikket er de oppriktig bekymret, særlig for hatet og den dype splittelsen i Israel etter Oslo-avtalen – som utløste drapet på statsminister Rabin i 1996. I det neste skryter de utilslørt av sin evne til å «uskadeliggjøre terrorister». the gatekeepers er en fengslende og opprørende dokumentar om Israels politiske schizofreni.

This documentary centers on six men, who in turn have served as executive directors of Shin Bet, the Israeli secret service. As such, have been responsible for the massive surveillance of Palestinians, as well as of settlers and religious extremists inside Israel. Through archive clips and interviews, the film reveals the methods and philosophy of the organization, from before the Yom Kippur war of 1967 up until today.

That these ex-leaders are so outspoken on camera, is remarkable in itself. All six seem sincerely worried about the current stalemate of the Israel/Palestine conflict, and criticize the establishment they were part of. Still, they are obviously proud of Shin Bets capacity to take out «terrorists». In sum, the gatekeepers is an engaging and unsettling documentary revealing a highly schizophrenic political culture.

REgISSØREN

Dror Moreh (f. 1961) har jobbet med film i en årrekke, og er en av Israels mest anerkjente filmfotografer. I tillegg er han regissør, produsent og manusforfatter. Han har tidligere laget film om Israels tidligere statsminister Ariel Sharon. THE GATEKEEPERS er hans andre helaftens dokumentarfilm.

THE DIRECTOR

Dror Moreh (b. 1961) ranks among the foremost one Israeli cinematographers. He is also a screenwriter, producer, and director. He has previously directed a documentary about Israel’s former prime minister Ariel Sharon.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

2008 SHARON

SOLDIER / CITIZEN

bAgRuT LOCHAmIm

ISRAEL 2012 DIRECTOR: Silvina Landsmann SCREENPLAY: Silvina Landsmann CINEmATOgRAPHY: Silvina Landsmann RuNNINg TImE: 1h 8m PRODuCER: Silvina Landsmann SOuRCE: Doc & Film

En gruppe israelske soldater, alle i starten av tjueårene, rett fra tre års militærtjeneste. Nå får de tilbud av hæren om å fullføre videregående skole. På timeplanen står et tre ukers kurs i «etikk og samfunn», med en middelaldrende lærer. Hans utgangspunkt for kurset: Israel er en demokratisk stat, men også en jødisk stat. Er dette forenlig? Og: Hva er en nasjon, en stat, et folk? Har palestinerne rett til å styre sin egen stat?

soldier/citizen er en «flue-på-veggen»-dokumentar. Med få unntak følger kamera diskusjonene i klasserommet, som blir stadig mer opphetede. Læreren har soldatenes respekt, selv om de ser på ham som «venstrevridd». Igjen og igjen utfordrer han deres standpunkter, men etter tre år i militæret har soldatene langt større forståelse for eget lag enn for «den andre». En enkel film om store spørsmål og om en fastlåst og kompleks konflikt, der en kime til håp ligger i at diskusjonen faktisk foregår.

A group of Israeli soldiers, all in their early twenties, straight out of three years of military service, are offered army-sponsored courses to complete their high school education. Part of the curriculum is a three-week «civic» course, led by a middle-aged teacher. His starting point is that Israel is a democratic state, but also a Jewish state. Is this possible to reconcile? And: What constitutes a nation, a state, a people? Do the Palestinians have the right to exercise their own authority?

soldier/citizen is a fly-on-the-wall-documentary film. With few exceptions, it follows the heated debate of the classroom. Respected by the soldiers, but also considered by them to be a «leftist», the teacher repeatedly challenges their views. But after three years in service, the soldiers have little understanding for «the other». This is a straightforward film about big issues and a deadlocked conflict. Nevertheless, its ongoing discussion represents a glimpse of hope.

REgISSØREN

Silvina Landsmann (f. 1965) har filmutdannelse fra Universitetet i Tel Aviv. Hun regisserte sin første film i Paris, der hun bodde i ti år. Deretter vendte hun hjem til Israel og stiftet produksjonsselskapet Comino Films. Ved siden av regissørgjerningen underviser hun i dokumentarfilm ved cinemateket i Tel Aviv.

THE DIRECTOR

Silvina Landsmann (b. 1965) studied at the Film Department at the University of Tel Aviv and then lived in Paris for ten years, where she directed her first film COLLÈGE (1997). After returning to Israel, she founded the production company Comino Films. She is also a lecturer in Documentary Film at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.

FILmOgRAPHY (uTVALg/SELECTION):

1997 COLLÈGE (DOC) 2005 POST PARTUM (DOC) 2007 UNTO THY LAND (DOC)