AICE ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL 2015 SYDNEY AUG 17-30 MELBOURNE AUG 18-30 CANBERRA AUG 19-30 PERTH AUG 20-26 AICEISRAELIFILMFESTIVAL.COM #ISRAELIFILMFEST AICE ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL 2015 SYDNEY AUG 17-30 MELBOURNE AUG 18-30 CANBERRA AUG 19-30 PERTH AUG 20-26 AICEISRAELIFILMFESTIVAL.COM #ISRAELIFILMFEST JOIN THE PALACE MOVIE CLUB AND EXPERIENCE CINEMA IN STYLE! FREE TICKET UPON JOINING, FREE $10 BIRTHDAY VOUCHER, DAILY DISCOUNTS ENQUIRE TODAY AT THE CINEMA BOX OFFICE OR ONLINE AT palacecinemas.com.au/movieclub JOIN THE PALACE MOVIE CLUB AND EXPERIENCE CINEMA IN STYLE! FREE TICKET UPON JOINING, FREE $10 BIRTHDAY VOUCHER, DAILY DISCOUNTS ENQUIRE TODAY AT THE CINEMA BOX OFFICE OR ONLINE AT palacecinemas.com.au/movieclub WELCOME WELCOME TO THE 12TH ANNUAL AICE ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL. Each year we bring you the best Israeli Cinema has to offer. When we thought that Israeli films have reached a high level, the quality of this selection goes beyond anything we have screened in the past. As always Palace Cinema, the leader in presenting Film Festivals in Australia, and Antonio Zeccola have been pro-active in expanding this Festival to more locations. At AICE we are grateful for having such wonderful partners. I would like to thank also all the sponsors, without them there would be no Festival. Please enjoy this 12TH edition of the Festival. Albert Dadon AM Chairman AICE is very pleased to welcome our festival guests this year – Barak Heymann with his two productions Aliza and Almost Friends; Asaf Weitzen – lead attorney for Tel Aviv based NGO, Hotline, and Oscar® winning producer, Israeli American, Howard Rosenman. AICEISRAELIFILMFESTIVAL.COM CULTUREWELCOME CORNER At Palace Cinemas we are honoured to share the voices of storytellers from around the world and the AICE Israeli Film Festival is no exception. It is my pleasure to showcase contemporary Israeli cinema with a programme that gets stronger and stronger every year. This dynamic programme , curated by Artistic Director Richard Moore, features a selection of contemporary and archival Israeli cinema including World and Australian premieres of documentaries, feature films, shorts and a hit Israeli TV series across six exciting categories: Blast From The Past, Queer Spot, Questions of Faith, Culture Corner, First Course and On The Edge. I would also like to thank Albert Dadon AM, Founder and Executive Chairman of AICE, for his ongoing commitment to sharing Israeli cinema and culture with our audiences. Please enjoy the 12TH edition of the AICE Israeli Film Festival screening at Palace Cinemas across the country this August. Antonio Zeccola Executive Chairman Palace Cinemas CULTUREWELCOME CORNER Dear Friends and Patrons of the Cinema, It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 12TH annual AICE Israeli Film Festival. This Israeli film festival has become an annual tradition which is firmly on the cultural dockets in Australia. Such a cultural exchange is vital in the strengthening of the relationship between the State of Israel and Australia. I wish to congratulate the Australia Israel Cultural Exchange and Mr. Albert Dadon for this important cultural exchange. This year’s festival includes a wide range of excellent Israeli films that offer a perspective into our life, culture, challenges and people. Please enjoy this unique window into Israel! Shalom, and “enjoy the shows!” Best Regards, MK Isaac Herzog Leader of the Opposition Chairman of Zionist Union Party WELCOME Dear Friends, I would like to welcome you to the Israeli Film Festival. This is the 12th anniversary of this distinguished event and I am happy to note that this important tradition goes from strength to strength. Culture and the Cinema, as one of its vivid expressions, are known to be able to bridge geographical divides and geopolitical barriers. It is quite often that they can succeed in places where politics and politicians cannot. As former voluntarily chairman of the Israel Film Fund, I take pride in the fact that Israel has gradually developed into a rich and prolific quality film producing country. It is therefore with great personal satisfaction that I invite our dear friends in Australia to a taste of the Israeli cinematic world. I commend the Australia Israel Cultural Exchange on this most welcome initiative and take this opportunity to thank Mr. Albert Dadon for his continued support and encouragement. Shalom and Yishar Koach (more power to you), Sincerely, MK Yaakov Perry Chairman of the Israel-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group #ISRAELIFILMFEST SECTION OUTLINE This year’s program has a strong focus on the dark arts of the documentary and is divided into a few thematic sections . I hope you enjoy what you see; if not ... well come and argue with me afterwards. A thanks to all the filmmakers and sales agents who worked hard to bring us these films: special mentions for service “beyond the call of duty” to Hedva and Hadar at GO2 Films, Udy and Chase at 7th Art Releasing and Michelle at Greenspan – you are all treasures. Richard Moore Artistic Director. QUESTIONS OF FAITH. Is there a more pressing issue in this schismatic century than the question of faith and interfaith? CULTURE CORNER A hommage to Israeli culture and some of its flawed and tragic characters. ON THE EDGE Living on the edge is status quo in Israel ; this selection is but a small sample of some of the hot button issues facing contemporary citizens and “non citizens”. BLASTS FROM THE PAST Classics from the vaults of Israel’s cinematic history. When will you get a chance to see them on the big screen again? QUEER SPOT A new addition to the program – a humourous and zany celebration of queer themes and queer Israeli film culture. OPENING NIGHT MATTI CASPI – CONFESSION Directors : Dalia Mevorach, Dani Dothan Production: Uri Borreda, Shemi Shoenfeld, Amital Menelzon What lies behind Matti Caspi’s mask like face? In this cinematic confessional, one of Israel’s greatest musicians reveals his innermost secrets. Caspi relates his tale of growing up in the 1950s in a family bereft of affection, his rise to stardom in an army ensemble, the quantum leap to fame with a string of commercial hits and then his exile to the USA after a very public fall from grace. Full of songs, intimate moments and humour this is as much a film about an Israel of the past as it is a searing personal biography of a living legend. 85 minutes CULTURE CORNER CLOCKWORK DOLL DAHLIA RAVIKOVITCH “The poetry of Dahlia Ravikovitch emerges from an extraordinary personal uniquely wonderful place. Other poets strive repeatedly to achieve all that is naturally present in her poems“ Baruch Kurzwell, literary critic 1959 Director: Ruth Walk Production: Lizan Atzmor., Yael Perlov The life of Dahlia Ravokovitch – poet, translator and peace activist – was a wonderful gift to Hebrew culture. Winner of the major Israeli poetry prizes she established herself as a powerful female voice in a predominantly masculine world. In her personal life she struggled with depression and fluctuated between intense vitality and an ardent passion to partake in any moral and political discussion. The film is ultimately a celebration of a highly talented and fiercely independent poetic voice. 52 minutes Screening with LIVING ROOM Director: Tali Shalom Ezer This short is the first film by Tali Shalom Ezer who directed the feature PRINCESS, also included in this year’s program. Can a daughter ever escape the influence of her mother? 19 minutes CULTURE CORNER ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A KING Director: Doron Djerassi Producers: Doc Films / Doron Djerassi Nissim Aloni was a king of the Hebrew Theatre. The magical realm he created on stage, together with a stellar cast of collaborators (including Yosl Bergner as the set designer) brimmed with imagination and poetry. He gave voice to a new spirit in the development of Israeli theatre; it was a bold, gutsy and political vision, full of lofty dreams and all too short lived. In a world dominated by functionaries Aloni eventually found he was a king in exile, without a kingdom, without an audience, to share his dreams. But what a time it was! 80 minutes CULTURE CORNER THE WANDERING MUSE Director/Producer: Tamas Wormser Languages: English, French, German, Yiddish, Ladino, Lugandan Judeo-Arabic, Spanish, Ancient Hebrew From the plaintive cry of the ram horn to the boom – boom of the beat box, this production is a sonic exploration of Jewish identity through the music of the Diaspora. Forget about your winter holidays, The Wandering Muse is a total geographical and musical trip. From a tango infused klezmer bar in Argentina, down to a Berlin cellar chanting 1920sYiddish song, up through an ancient Moroccan synagogue – with the alluring songstress Vanessa Paloma – and into a congregation in rural Uganda chanting Hebrew prayers in East African harmonies. Cantors, hip hoppers, and subversive Russian poets all groove together in this celebration of a world of harmony beyond politics and national borders. 93 minutes CULTURE CORNER ROCK IN THE RED ZONE Director/Producer: Laura Bialis A story of love, politics and music set on the front line in the desert town of Sderot. When LA documentary maker, Laura Bialis, travelled to Sderot to research a documentary about the music scene in Sderot little did she realise it would flip her life on its head. This production is an outsider’s inside view of life on the front line, in a town under threat of rocket attacks, where citizens have only 15 seconds warning to get shelter. Set right in the heart of the musical community in Sderot – with appearances by Teapack, Micha Barton, Avi Vaknin and Knesiyat Hasechet - this is a passionate testament to a community who see themselves as forgotten by the mainstream of Israeli society and who are determined to be heard.