Israeli Films Visit TI for January Festival.........posted Dec 9, 2007

Tikvat Israel will host its 3rd annual Israel Film Festival on three consecutive Saturday evenings in January.

Experience Israel from a unique perspective: Through the lens of award-winning Israeli-produced films. Following each film will be a stimulating discussion and dessert. Moderators will be Eric Zakim, assistant professor of Hebrew language and culture, and Sheila Jelen, assistant professor of Hebrew literature, University of Maryland.

Admission per film is $10 for TI members, $12 for non-members.

All films will be shown at 8 p.m. The schedule is as follows:

-> "Close To Home," Jan. 5, 2008

Smadar and Mirit, both 18, are assigned to patrol the streets of Jerusalem together as part of their military service. Worlds apart in their personality their initial frosty relationship changes to friendship as they deal with their own emotional issues, the crushes and break-ups in their love lives, as well as the political reality of the city they live in. Co-writer and directors Dalia Hager and Vidi Bilu strived to create a film with political meaning as well as cast a fresh perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Close to Home" is the first film to focus on women within the Israeli Military Service and was inspired by their own experiences.

-> "Live and Become," Jan. 12, 2008

Based on a true story, "Live and Become" chronicles the 1984 fleeing of thousands of Africans from 26 countries struck by famine to camps in Sudan and its impact on two families. On the initiative of Israel and the United States, a vast action is led to take thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. A Christian mother pushes her 9-year-old son to be declared Jewish to save him from famine and death. On arrival in the Holy Land he is declared an orphan and is adopted by a French family living in Tel Aviv. He grows up living with the fear of having his double lie discovered: that he is neither Jew, nor orphan, only black. This beautifully crafted coming-of-age tale is the classic story of migration, assimilation and identity told with warmth and humor.

-> "James' Journey to Jerusalem," Jan. 19, 2008

A cannily droll mix of social commentary and modern fable, Israeli filmmaker Ra'anan Alexandrowicz's debut feature follows the adventures of young James, a devout wide-eyed Christian attempting a pilgrimage from his African village to the Holy Land. Jailed by the immigration authorities upon his arrival in Tel Aviv, this contemporary Candide is miraculously bailed out by a shady small-time businessman only to become part of his migrant labor pool. Undeterred, James perseveres in his religious quest, until he gets a taste of fortune by exploiting his employer's friends and colleagues for his own profit. Alexandrowicz filters an astute exploration of the economic, moral and spiritual hypocrisies of Western society through an evocative portrait of modern Israel's cultural and generational divisions.

Please contact the TI office to make a reservation for any or all films. In case of inclement weater, consult WTOP for information on event status. Phone: 301-762-7338. Email: execdir@tikvatisrael.org

The film series is managed by the TI Adult Education Committee as part of the synagogue?s Israel at 60 series of programs through 2007-08.

Join Our Listserv

Email the Webmasters

	Tikvat Israel Congregation 2200 Baltimore Road · Rockville, Maryland 20851 Phone: (301) 762-7338 · Fax: (301) 424-4399 · Send us an email!
	Affiliated with The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, which hosts this website as one of the many services provided to member congregations.