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Israel: 11 film(s)
Ajami
Chronicle of a Kidnap
Eyes Wide Open / Eynayim Pekuhot
Gevald!
Happy Jews
A History of Israeli Cinema
Pinhas
Point of View / Eynayim Sheli
Prrrride
Ultimatum
Valentina's Mother / Ima Shel Valentina

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Ajami
Scandar Copti & Yaron Shani, Israel/Germany, 2008, 120m
New York Premiere
Watch the trailer in Hebrew.
Watch the trailer in Arabic.
Co-directed by a Palestinian and an Israeli, Ajami is a visceral crime drama with a strong ensemble cast. In a multi-ethnic Jaffa neighborhood, a powerful Bedouin clan wages a vendetta against a poor family. A teenage worker from the Occupied Territories desperately tries to raise money to help his ailing mother. A Jewish police detective struggles with the disappearance of his brother. And an affluent Palestinian and his Jewish girlfriend dream about the future. As these stories intersect, we witness the dramatic collision of different worlds. Ajami is the winner of five Ophirs (Israeli Oscars), including Best Picture, and is Israel’s submission to the 2010 Academy Awards®.
Scandar Copti, Director, and Yaron Shani, Director, will be in attendance.
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm



Eyes Wide Open / Eynayim Pekuhot
Haim Tabakman, Israel, 2009, 90m
New York Premiere
Aaron, an ultra-Orthodox butcher in Jerusalem and a dedicated husband and father, hires Ezri, a handsome student, as his apprentice. When his time with Ezri comes at the expense of his family life, Aaron faces threats from neighbors and town elders. Haim Tabakman’s sensitive feature debut explores the devastating consequences of forbidden passion.
Haim Tabakman, Director, will be in attendance.

preceded by


Kallah (Bride)
Miri Shapiro, UK, 2007, 15m
U.S. Premiere
Burdened with a sick parent, Sarah struggles with the preparations for becoming a “kosher Jewish bride.”
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm



Gevald!
Ron Ofer & Yohai Hakak, Israel, 2009, 50m
New York Premiere
This astonishing documentary juxtaposes the lives of two of Israel’s most prominent ultra- Orthodox leaders. Shmuel Chaim Pappenheim is an anti-Zionist radical activist who organizes mass protests against the secular state. The late Avraham Ravitz was a former IDF soldier and a longtime Knesset member who worked within the system to advance his constituency’s religious agenda. This film closely follows them as the 2006 elections approach.

preceded by


Chronicle of a Kidnap
Nurit Kedar, Israel, 2008, 55m
New York Premiere
In this riveting documentary, activist Karnit Goldwasser steps into the media spotlight on behalf of her husband Ehud (Udi), a soldier abducted in 2006 by Hezbollah in Lebanon. The film is an intimate portrait of Karnit’s heroic efforts to lobby for Ehud’s release.
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm



Happy End
Frans Weisz, The Netherlands, 2009, 87m
US Premiere
“One hour above ground is worth more than an eternity underneath it.” So says patriarch Simon as family and friends gather around him. Meanwhile, the younger generation of this much-haunted Jewish Dutch family steps forward. Frans Weisz (Qui Vive, NYJFF 2002) returns with the final chapter of his dramatic trilogy, in which a circle of friends and family (and at least one ghost) struggle with the traces of World War II, deep secrets, and their intertwined relationships.
Frans Weisz, Director, will be in attendance at all screenings. Jip Loots, Actor, will be in attendance on 1/17.

preceded by


Point of View / Eynayim Sheli
Avishag Leibovich, Israel, 2008, 18m
U.S. Premiere
With her failing vision, Herta needs care and companionship from her granddaughter, Noa. When not reading aloud the subtitles to Herta’s favorite telenovela, Noa tries to bring some romance into her own life.
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm



A History of Israeli Cinema
Raphaël Nadjari, France/Israel, 2009, 210m
Raphaël Nadjari (Tehilim, NYJFF 2008) returns with an extraordinary documentary on the evolution of Israel’s cinema and its parallels with the country’s history. Clips and interviews with directors, scholars and critics—including NYJFF alumni Joseph Cedar, Amos Gitai, and Moshe Mizrahi—explore early Zionist propaganda films, ethnic comedies aimed at Sephardic immigrants, political films of the ’80s, and more. Part I covers 1933-1978. Part II covers 1978-2005. Shown with one intermission.
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm



The Peretzniks / Perecowicze
Slawomir Grünberg, Poland/U.S, 2009, 92m
U.S. Premiere
Alumni of the Jewish Peretz School recall their adolescence in Lodz before the 1968 anti-Semitic campaign. The Peretzniks never fully said goodbye to Poland or their beloved schoolmates and teachers. Documentary filmmaker Grünberg gathers the diaspora of alumni to share memories of friendship, crushes, mischief, and the trauma of forced exile.
Slawomir Grunberg, Director, will be in attendance.

preceded by


Happy Jews
Jonathan Rozenbaum, Israel/Poland, 2008, 6m
U.S. Premiere
With home movies and a sense of humor, a young filmmaker reflects on a reunion of Polish Jews who emigrated as a result of the anti-Semitic campaign in 1968.
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm



Ultimatum
Alain Tasma, France/Israel/Italy, 2008, 101m
New York Premiere
In this multinational thriller set during the 1990/91 Persian Gulf War, a young couple in Jerusalem declares battle with each other while Iraq threatens Israel with the possibility of chemical warfare. Luisa, a beautiful French-Italian student, her tempestuous lover Nathanaël, and their friends seal rooms, don gas masks, and wait in fear. Starring French heartthrob Gaspard Ulliel, the glamorous Jasmine Trinca, and an ensemble of Israel’s most talented actors, including Hana Laszlo, Lior Ashkenazi,and Sarah Adler.
Alain Tasma, Director, will be in attendance.

preceded by


Prrrride
Eitan Efrat and Sirah Foighel Brutmann, Netherlands/Israel, 2008, 3m
New York Premiere
A young Israeli performs as a one-man marching band while relating his mother’s fears about his military service.
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm



Valentina's Mother / Ima Shel Valentina
Matti Harari & Arik Lubetzky, Israel, 2008, 75m
New York Premiere
After resisting her son’s attempts to find live-in help, Paula agrees to hire Valentina, a young Polish housekeeper. Speaking and singing in Polish, the two enjoy each other’s companionship until Paula’s repressed memories of the Holocaust start to emerge. Based on a novella by Israeli writer Savyon Liebrecht, this haunting drama features strong performances and an unforgettable ending.
Matti Harari, Director, will be in attendance.

preceded by


Pinhas
Pini Tavger, Israel, 2008, 32m
New York Premiere
A nine-year-old son of Russian immigrants in Israel seeks out the warmth and companionship of his religious neighbors.
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm

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This year's New York Jewish Film Festival was selected by Rachel Chanoff, Independent Curator; Andrew Ingall, Assistant Curator, The Jewish Museum; Richard Peña, Program Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center; Aviva Weintraub, Associate Curator and Director of the NYJFF, The Jewish Museum.

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