Other Israel Film Fest 2014 Shines Light on Unity & Conflict

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Wednesday, 05 November 2014 11:21

Written by Renzo Adler

Almost Friends

In a land of seemingly perpetual strife and conflict, The Other Israel Film Festival (November 6 - 13, 2014), founded in 2007, sheds light on the history of Israel as well as the lives of its minority, Arab, and Palestinian citizens. Through documentaries, dramatic films, and panel discussion, the Other Israel Film Fest promotes understanding and provides a forum for discussion on current affairs in Israel.

The highlight of the fest is the music documentary East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem, which follows singer/songwriter and peace activist David Broza. Sharing the title with Broza’s latest album, this documentary will have its NYC premiere at Other Israel. After the screening, Broza will also have a discussion interwoven with a music performance that will include singer Mira Awad and musician/producer Steve Earle.

Having its US premiere at the fest, Almost Friends, directed by Nitzan Ofir and Barak Heymann follows the growing friendship between two girls, one living in a secular part of Israel, the other in the deeply religious neighborhoods, who reach across boundaries as pen pals.

Fire Lines, directed by David Viola and Avi Goldstein, documents how Israeli and Palestinian fire-fighters worked together to fight the Carmel fireof 2010.

The Village of Peace, directed by Ben Schuder and Niko Philipides shows the lives of a group of African-Americans who left Chicago in 1967 and moved to Dimona, Israel to build a new life and community.

Other events include:

the Other Perspectives panel where filmmakers Sayed Kashua, Menashe Noy, Lucy Aharish, Dana Ivgy and others discuss Israeli current affairs, culture, and the perception of Israel abroad.

The Challenges of a Young Country, a discussion with David Blight and Ari Shavit, moderated by Emily Bazelon, examines parallels between Israel today and the United States when it was only 66 years old, and the challenges both face, and what Israel can learn from America’s past.

The Other Israel Film Festival gives an enlightening look at a world of conflict, and through cinema, aims to promote better cultural understanding.

Carole Zabar, a festival founder said, "The Other Israel Film Festival was founded to be a vehicle for cultural change and social insights into the nature of Israel as a democracy and the complex condition of the lives of its minorities that are living in the Jewish State."

To learn more, go to: http://www.otherisrael.org/

The Other Israel Film Festival
November 6 - 13, 2014

Various Venues

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