ISRAEL – AUSTRIA - 2005 35 MM, COLOUR LENGTH 83 MINUTES PRODUCED WITH FUNDS FROM THE PROVINCE OF SALZBURG, OWN RESOURCES OF CINECRAFT GMBH, SK-FILM GMBH, MICHAEL PFEIFENBERGER in corporation with BEN GURION UNIVERSITY/ CENTER FOR GERMAN STUDIES and TEACHERS COLLEGE of TECHNOLOGY - Tel Aviv AUSTRIAN DISTRIBUTION: CINECRAFT GMBH Endresstrasse 18 A-1230 WIEN +43-1-88-90-799 CONTACT: CINECRAFT Gmbh Endresstr. 18 A-1230 WIEN +43-1-889-07-99 www.cinecraft.at SK- FILM Gmbh Salzachstr. 15 A A-5026 Salzburg +43 662 62 59 69 FESTIVALS International Film Festival Damaskus, Syria European Dream 06 Festival New York 40. Internationale Hofer Filmtage 06 Biberacher Filmfestspiele 2006 Diagonale 06 Int. Filmfestival Istanbul 2005 – „East meets West“ World Jewish Eye Filmfestival Israel 2005 International Filmfestival Warszawa - "Jewish motifes 12. International Filmfestival Kolkata to be under way documentaryfilmproject by the Austrian cultureforum in Madrid spring 2008 Toronto Hot Docs Documentary Festival Hong Kong International Film Festival Seattle International Film Festival SHORT SYNOPSIS LEILA & LENA tells the story of a young female Russian immigrant and a young female Bedouin living in Israel. The two women meet while studying at the Film High School and become friends – despite religious and political barriers. They are constantly underway with their Digi-Cam and work together on a film which will form the final thesis of their studies. While working on the film they are constantly confronted with pictures from their own history. With their totally different views of the world, the two girlfriends use settings in the Israeli Negev Desert, in Beer Sheva, on the West Bank as well as in Rahat and on the Dead Sea to show that there is another way of solving conflicts. LEILA & LENA’s naturalness presents a picture of self-confident youth capable of reaching consensus. LEILA & LENA Jews and Moslems study together at the university in the desert city of Beer Sheva. LEILA & LENA also study there. They are exactly what one imagines a contrast to be: black and white; large and small; religious and secular; mischievous and calmly reserved. LEILA always thought that a meeting with „Russians“ would, quite literally, be the death of her. It does not take long for LENA to free LEILA of her ethnic prejudice. From that moment on they are inseparable and the best of friends. During the course of their work on the film, LENA discovers that her older brother disappeared under mysterious circumstances a long time before and the family refuses to speak about it. ABI, an Israeli soldier and LENA’s boyfriend, is injured in a serious bomb attack. He survives through a twist of fate and lies wounded in the military hospital. LENA is as much in love as she is distraught and misses her lover very much. LEILA is also the complete opposite to LENA when it comes to affairs of the heart. She changes her male friends as often as nomads change their camp sites. She is a good counsellor for the young Jewish woman on the subject of love until she herself falls head over heels in love with a mysterious stranger who turns up at Beer Sheva railway-station when Leila is leaving for Germany. The mysterious stranger subsequently brings total confusion to the lives of the protagonists. LEILA Approx. 23 years old. She is not sure exactly how old she really is. Her family originally came from the Teneree` in the Negev (an old nomadic route) and, as a result of a government programme, they became “settled” on the outskirts of Beer Sheva. LEILA grew up with nature and learned to value the simple things in life like water, for example. Leila is a practising Moslem and goes to the Mosque regularly where women discuss a „contemporary“ interpretation of the Koran. Her mother died at an bomb attack and she lives alone with her father and grandfather. Leila is particularly proud of the fact that she has managed to study because in her cultural circle it was, or is, unthinkable that women should study. She enjoys being independent. Rather tongue-in-cheek, Lena calls Leila an "eco-kosher Moslem". LENA 22 years old. Born in Minsk. She is the daughter of Russian immigrants. She is a lively person and is against a new staging of the victim/perpetrator trauma. Lena campaigns for „Never Forget“ and for a respectful discussion of the past, the Shoa. Although Lena grew up in a religious family, she lives her life without religion. Nevertheless it is not unusual for her to fast on „Passover“. Their penchant for the Mysteries and their love for the medium of film are just some of the things she has in common with Leila. Lena is an alert inhabitant of two worlds. "I live in two worlds, the difference is great. I love both". PRESS / REACTIONS / EXCERPTS Jewish Film Week Leila and Lena are two self-confident young women who could not be more different. Leila is a Bedouin. Lena was born in Minsk. Both live in Israel. Abraham’s granddaughters: Women who courageously show that overcoming intercultural barriers is not an illusion despite inner walls and external fences.... STAB Director: Michael Pfeifenberger Script: Michael Pfeifenberger Production: Felix R. Giuliani, Josef Koschier Camera: Christian Giesser Sound: Itai Elohav Edit: Dominik Weiser Music: Sinichkin, Muhamad Abu Ajaj, Des Voix Des Deserts, Tomer Lenzinger Production Design: Christoph Birkner, Naama Yuval Costume: Christoph Birkner Head of Production: Michael Donhauser Erhard Forster CAST Olga Rina Titov LENA Hila Madhala LEILA Adib Jahshan FATHER OF LEILA Sasha Israel Demidov FATHER OF LENA Natalia Votolevich - Manor MOTHER OF LENA Tarek Qypti GRANDFAHTER OF LEILA Shay Barmeli AVI Slavik Buganov JAKOV Moussa Zhalka IMAM Vera Apfelthaler PROFESSOR Auda El Koran FRIEND OF GRANDPA DIRECTOR – STATEMENT LEILA & LENA is a film about extraordinary women. Starting as a documentary- like review of the friends´ everyday life, it gradually develops into a “parable on intercultural dialogue”. The emphasis and colour of the film is “inter”cultural not “multi”cultural. The Negev. Every now and again one sees a tarpaulin camp when one crosses the Negev on Route Nr. 40. The reclamation of the desert has caused the nomads to live in monotonous stone settlements although some Bedouins still live a nomadic life in the desert. It is intended that the impressionist narrative style of the film should bring out coherent details that demonstrate the possibility of a co-existence that goes beyond deadlocked differences. LENA & LEILA have long since outgrown the generation that screams for revenge. The young men of the Israeli army are often portrayed in the media as aggressors and oppressors. As in any military conflict, young people are misused for propaganda purposes. By all sides. On another level the film is also intended to promote a greater understanding for Israel’s security needs. The Middle East Conflict is extremely complex and in Europe it is all too often used to generate resentment against Semites. Robert Schindel on the subject in the Kurier Newspaper interview on 23. Nov.03: "...In addition it is the case that anti-Semitism is becoming more audacious, particularly in Germany and Austria. ...This anti-Semitism is the hatred of Israel and all who support Israel – Jews in the Diaspora. A modern anti-Semite can express justified criticism of Israel and has the feeling nothing will happen to him, because it has nothing to do with Auschwitz. ...Conversely allies of Israel must be careful not to demonise justified criticism of Israeli politics." The story of LEILA & LENA is an unsentimental one. The film goes beyond a documentary-like review. It also goes beyond the so-called “Middle East Conflict”. LEILA & LENA gives the situation a human and metaphorical perspective. Michael Pfeifenberger, born 10.04.1965 in Zederhaus/Salzburg Collaboration by numerous inter-national cinema and TV productions as Director’s Assistant, Production Manager, Head of Production and Executive Producer Independent Film Maker since 1995 Selected Filmography "Chaltura - Leila & Lena" (2005 Israel/A, Road-Movie, 35 mm, Completed for cinema.: April 05) Festivals Int. Filmfest Warszawa World Jewish Eye “011 Beograd” (2002/03 A/Serbia, Youth drama, Novotny & Novotny Filmprod./ Monte - Royal – Pictures - International, 35 mm, 85 Min. Kino) FESTIVALS Nominated for the Max-Ophüls-Prize 03 Saarbrücken, Diagonale of Austrian Film Graz 03, 33. International Film Festival Lakow / Poland, International Film Festival Dresden, International Film Festival Cairo, International Film Festival Bratislava (Fipresci) 03, "Austrian Film Series" Milan, International Film Festival Zagreb, International Film Festival Suraba (Java) 04, Balkan Black Box Festival Berlin 04 - Festival of independent Film Southeast Europe, "Festival of European Film" - Ramallah 04, Invitation from the Austrian Cutural Forum Tel Aviv: Cinematheken Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Nazareth. Cinema release A/D Sept. 2003, Polyfilm / Cinema release Serb. Sept. 2004, Monte-Royal - Pictures Int. “Thanksgivin – Die nachtblaue Stadt” (Psycho-Drama, A/D 2000, 35mm, 98 min) FESTIVALS Internationale Filmtage Bozen, International Film Festival Kiev “Molodist”, Berlinale (European Film Market), Hofer Filmtage, International Film Festival Fort Lauderdale (Florida), Anthology FilmArchive New York « Austrian Film Series », International Film Festival Pyongyang « peace & friendship » (Korea), Diagonale of Austrian Film Graz 02, Biberacher Film Festival 03 - Festival of German Directors. Invitation from the Austrian Cultural Forum: