A brief piece on Screwdriver (2018) Other Israel Film festival 2019

After Zaid's friend is killed by an Israeli sniper, he and his friends go out looking for revenge. When one of the friends kills a man he thinks is Israeli, the friends flee but Zaid is caught and thrown into prison. Getting out fifteen years later Zaid struggles to come to terms with the sudden change, with friends who have moved on and family who don't seem to understand why he is so with drawn.

I am mixed concerning SCREWDRIVER. While it is in no way  a bad film it never fully connected to me on an emotional level. To be certain this film is an excellent and heady discussion of what being in solitary for the better part of a decade and a half will do to you, however the fact that the time in prison made Zaid withdrawn and disconnected made him hard to connect to emotionally. Intellectually I completely understand why it was done, but at the same time it kept me distant to the point I like the film rather than love it.

Regardless it is worth a look when it plays November 21 at the Other Israel Film Festival.

Cause of Death (2018) Other Israel Film Festival

Ten years after Jamal Barakat's police officer brother Salim was killed stopping a terrorist attack he discovers that there maybe more to the story than he was told and that his death may have been at the hands of someone other than the terrorist. The crushing trip down the rabbit hole that upsets Barakat's whole life comes from a comment from someone who was at the scene who tells him that it was tragic that his brother was shot, Jamal had been told his brother's throat had been cut. This puzzling comment then sets Jamal on the road to find the truth as little comments said to him over the years mix with things to uncover to make him realize that the official story  that his brother died at the hands of the terrorist he stopped from killing dozens of people may not be the entire truth.

Charting both Jamal's quest for answers as well as how his quest changes his relationship with those around him, particularly the police officers who were his brother's friends, CAUSE OF DEATH is heavy film. It is a stunning piece of filmmaking that shows us how one fundamental change in what we think is the truth can send us spinning. While there is no question about Salim's heroism, the fact that his death may have been a mistake is devastating over a decade later. It is a masterful piece of filmmaking that while working on the smaller level of this one incident sets our minds going about what if this happened to us, how would we react?

I was knocked back on my heals. Going into the film I had been told that it was possibly the best film at the Other Israel Film Festival, but I hadn't been warned that it might end up rattling around in my head for days afterward. The whole notion of having a fundamental truth of one's life altered haunted me. I am still pondering the film week on, and I don't think this film will leave me for a long time.

Highly recommended

The film plays Monday at the Marlene Meyerson JCC in Manhattan and Tuesday at the Alamo Draft Housein Brooklyn. For ticket and more information go here.

Breaking Bread (2019) Other Israel Film Festival 2019

Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel was the first person to win the Israeli Master Chef competition. Realizing that the best way to connect people and break down walls is to share a mill she creates the food festival which will bring together chefs who are both Jewish and Arab, Palestinian and Israeli in order to create friendships and connections based on a love of food.

This is a wonderful film. It is a glorious portrait of not only Atamna-Ismaeel but also many of the people whom she invited to the festival. Its a wonderful look into the various chefs' lives and loves of food. This is the cinematic equivalent to sitting in the kitchen of a really good cook and shooting the breeze while they cooked. Unfortunately since they are on the screen we can try what they are cooking.(this needs to screen with a buffett)

Truth be told this film is the best sort of  food porn. Watching the film I found I was getting hungrier and hungrier. I am a notoriously picky eater and yet while watching the film I kept going "I have no idea what that is but I want it". I was so hungry by the end, despite seeing this right after dinner that I ran to the kitchen and made a big second meal. (When you go see this at the film festival plan your eating accordingly)

What a great great film.

I love that this film works on so many different levels, it's a portrait of great people who cook, a portrait of society, it shows us food that we may never have known about and it shows us how we all aren't that different after all.

This film is a quiet little gem that will make your mouth water and stomach talk to you.

Thankfully the Other Israel Film Festival has scheduled it at 4:30 pm on Sunday the 17th so you can make a mad dash after the screening to one of the wonderful restaurants around the Marlene Meyerson JCC where it screens.

For tickets go here (You're on your own with dinner reservations)

Other Israel Film Festival Capsules: BORDER OF PAIN, SAMARITAN and COMRADE DOV

Border of Pain
This film will make you shake your head in disbelief and rage. This is the story of the sick in Gaza who are limited by Israel as to what sort of treatment is available. Should you have something as serious as cancer you are forced to either scrounge to get medical supplies or make an impossibly difficult trip into Israel proper in order to get treatment- assuming you have the right passes to get through the security. This is heart breaking tale that makes you wonder how this can happen in today's world. A must see.

Samaritan
Portrait of the dwindling community of Samaritans who have lived in what is now Israel for millennia and who have had their number reduced to just over 100. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian, they must carry identification from both authorities. This is bittersweet portrait of a people trying to live as their forebears did but finding it increasingly difficult thanks to the groups around them who would like nothing more than devour them. This is a really good look at a people most of us, myself included, didn’t realize were still around (I keep thinking of the parable from the Bible). Definitely worth a look.

Comrade Dov
Portrait of Dov Khenin, activist and member of the Knesset who cheerfully going about his life’s work of trying to help those needing help. From making sure funds go to the right place, helping immigrants or the down trodden Dov is there. The result of his always being in the thick of things he has been called ever name under the sun, and few others as well. This is solid portrait of a man who is forever trying to do the right thing regardless of who it pisses off. After watching the film I completely understand how the director’s one shot interview became a thirteen year mission to document his subjects life. Recommended.


 All three films play this weekend at the Other Israel Film Festival.For tickets and more information on these films go here

The Advocate (2019) Other Israel Film Festival Opening Night Film

Excellent portrait of Lea Tsemel, Jewish-Israeli attorney she defends Palestinians regardless of what they did that includes petty crimes or attempted suicide bombing.  The film is a mix of reflection on her career and portrait of the woman in action. We watch her championing her clients, despite knowing what they are accused of and never giving anything less than her all.

Tsemel is a joy to watch and to listen to. Watching the film I wasn't sure we needed to have another portrait of a fighter of the downtrodden and then I saw her in action and fell head over heels with her. It takes a special kind of a person to be able to talk to the family of a man accused of stabbing 11 people about a plea bargain and not say your son is screwed. There was of course no doubt he did it but her attitude in discussing it is something rare. (I know I have a day job in criminal justice and can see how bad some attorneys can be.

A stunning film that is highly recommended

THE ADVOCATE opens the Other Israel Film Festival For tickets and more information go here.

MARLENE MEYERSON JCC MANHATTAN’S 13th ANNUAL OTHER ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES COMPLETE LINEUP

Festival Runs November 14 - 21

 

Slated films highlight the timely stories, lives, and experiences of Jews and Arabs coming together through food; Palestinians in the Israeli judicial system; migrants and asylum seekers; Israeli and Palestinian health services; the Druze and Samaritan populations, and much more…

 

New York, NY (September 26, 2019)- The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan announces the complete lineup of feature films, television programs, and short films for the 13th annual OTHER ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL, held in New York November 14–21. A diverse and thought-provoking selection of award-winning films and US premieres round out the festival's 2019 slate, all celebrating unique cinematic stories that highlight the lives and experiences of under-represented populations living within the region, and bringing to light timely issues and challenges that these communities face. 

 

This year's lineup includes a deeper look into the Israeli judicial system, with moving stories and controversial cases of political prisoners, refugees, and asylum seekers, as well as showcasing more diverse images of Israel's minority groups (including the Druze and Samaritan populations) who are often overlooked by mainstream Israeli society and culture, along with inspiring stories of Jews and Arabs coming together through food. 

 

The Other Israel Film Festival provides a platform to engage and face some of the challenges within Israeli society through film and dialogue and seeks to foster social awareness and cultural understanding. At a time of political and social turmoil within Israel, The Other Israel Film Festival has become a crucial stage for sharing in-depth perspectives with the community. The festival was founded by Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan board member and New York City staple, Carole Zabar.

 

Isaac Zablocki, director of The Other Israel Film Festival says, "This year's brave lineup makes it clear that even in polarizing times, there are progressive voices leading the way to hope. These voices need to be heard."

 

The festival’s Opening Night selection will be Philippe Bellaiche and Rachel Leah Jones’ daring documentary, ADVOCATE, a look at the life and work of Jewish-Israeli lawyer Lea Tsemel, who has tirelessly represented political prisoners for nearly 50 years. An official selection at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, “Advocate” will screen Thursday, November 14 at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A and the opening night reception. 

 

The festival’s Closing Night selection will be Bassam Jarbawi’s ambitious debut narrative feature, SCREWDRIVER (“Mafak”), about a Palestinian man who struggles to cope with the consequences of his imprisonment and adjust to modern life after returning home from a 15-year sentence in an Israeli prison. “Screwdriver” will screen on Thursday, November 21 at 7 p.m.  

 

Other highlights from this year's lineup include:

The New York City premiere of Ramy A. Katz’s heartbreaking and haunting documentary feature, CAUSE OF DEATH, which deconstructs a potential cover-up of the decade-old killing of Druze police officer Salim Barakat and his brother’s emotional and desperate quest to find the truth; the New York City premiere of Beth Hawk’s inspiring documentary BREAKING BREAD (featuring Dr.Nof Atamna-Ismaeel of Master Chef Israel); the international premiere of Barak Heymann’s COMRADE DOV, an affectionate portrait of left-wing Jewish politician and activist Dov Khenin,and the North American premiere of the hit Israeli television show ASYLUM CITY, set in the underworld of refugees and asylum seekers. 

 

"Our film festival has become a home for our community to grapple in a nuanced and in-depth manner with some of Israel's bigger questions of democracy and equality for all," says Carole Zabar, Founder of The Other Israel Film Festival.

The Other Israel Film Festival runs from November 14-21 at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, as well as Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Brooklyn, JCC Harlem, and NYU. The festival will feature Q&As with numerous filmmakers and talent after select screenings. Special events and panels will be announced in October. 

 

Tickets go on sale October 3. For additional information, please visit www.OtherIsrael.org.

 

The full list of 2019 festival titles includes: