Cinema Nouveau Theatres in conjunction with the Embassy of Israel and Tararam, the South Africa-Israel Culture Fund, present the 9th annual Israeli Film Festival which commenced on 12 August at Johannesburg’s Rosebank Mall.
The festival runs for four weeks in total. After opening in Johannesburg, the festival will move to Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, followed by Pretoria’s Brooklyn Mall and lastly, The Gateway in Durban.
Festival goers will enjoy an eclectic mix of movies from the hilarious Monty Pythonesque style movie This is Sodom, to the coming of age story of Arik in the The Matchmaker. This must-see movie tells the story of a teenage Haifa lad working for a mysterious holocaust survivor Yankele, a matchmaker. Arik begins to learn the mysteries of the human heart and at the same time he finds himself falling in love with free spirited Tamara. Avi Nesher’s touching story set between a decade of post war recovery and the cultural and sexual revolution of the 1960 in the US and Europe, creates a magical and heart warming discovery.
Restless reflects human drama through the interaction of a father whose life has steadily slid on a downward spiral of failure and his son who lives on the edge, risking his life in every way possible, as though trying to ease some internal wound – a winner at the Berlin International Film Festival.
There Were Nights, a powerful human drama, is a story of a daughter’s love for her father and at the same time, her desire for independence. Starring the acclaimed Israeli actor, Moshe Ivgy together with his real-life daughter, Dana, the superb acting brings this touching tale to life.
The crime drama, Ajami, an Academy Award nominee which received the highest critical acclaim, is a collaborative Israel / Palestinian film set in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, reflecting a melting pot of cultures and conflict amongst Jews, Muslims and Christians. Audiences witness a dramatic collision of different worlds and the tragic consequences of antagonists living as neighbours.
Nominated for nine Israeli Film Awards, Three Mothers tells the story of Rose, Flora and Jasmine, a rare set of triplets born in Egypt in 1943, who were blessed by King Farouk. Now Israeli residents, their lives are clouded by secrets and lies from the past. The suspenseful and poignant tale questions the meaning of blood ties, marital loyalties, independence and motherhood itself.
The romantic drama Five hours from Paris sees two very different people; he, an Israeli taxi driver and she, a Russian immigrant involved in a sweet, mature and thoughtful romance.
The Human Resources Manager of Jerusalem’s largest bakery is in trouble, as he is accused of indifference when one of his employees is killed in a suicide bombing. On a mission to honour a woman he didn’t know but has grown to admire, the HR Manager fights to regain his company’s reputation – and possibly his own humanity.
The entry fee of R15 is being donated in support of Ster-Kinekor’s flagship corporate social investment initiative, Vision Mission which identifies disadvantaged communities especially learners who are suffering with de-generating eyesight an opportunity to view the world, with colour and detail by providing them with spectacles. Pre-booking is available on www.sterkinekor.com or at the box-office.
