June: Middle Eastern Cinema
June: Middle Eastern Cinema, FLMTQ Releases 244-247
During the month of June Filmatique presents Middle Eastern Cinema, a series of films from Israel and Palestine that seek to represent a diversity of perspectives and cinematic representations of the region.
A richly complex portrait of shifting loyalties and alliances in the Middle East, Yuval Adler plumbs the elusive relationship between a young Palestinian informant and an Israeli intelligence officer in Bethlehem, his feature film debut. Annemarie Jacir's first film Salt of This Sea traces a young Palestinian-American woman's return to the land of her ancestors, while Hany Abu-Assad's The Idol charts the journey of a young singer from Gaza to the international stage. Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid examines a middle-aged woman's fascination with a precocious child poet in The Kindergarten Teacher, recently adapted into an English-language film starring Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Tackling themes of violence and injustice, hope and obsession, and comprised of two Israeli and two Palestinian features, Filmatique's Middle Eastern Cinema series offers a lens into contemporary life across Israel, Palestine, and the West Bank through the eyes of its most celebrated auteurs.
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Bethlehem, Yuval Adler (2013)
Bethlehem, Yuval Adler / Israel-Germany-Belgium, 2013
Sanfur is seventeen years old, the younger brother of Ibrahim, a prominent Palestinian militia leader. Living with his domineering father and taciturn mother, it is clear that Sanfur's life has been overshadowed by his brother, who is considered a local hero. Unbeknownst to any of them, Sanfur has been steadily feeding intel on his brother's activities to Razi, an Israeli secret service officer with whom Sanfur has formed a deep if not volatile bond. Amid a land of violence, intrigue, and shifting loyalties, a complexly human portrait of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict begins to emerge.
Starring non-professional actors in richly nuanced roles, and co-written with a Palestinian journalist, Bethlehem is a taut and sophisticated thriller set in one of the world's most geopolitically fraught landscapes. Israeli filmmaker Yuval Adler's first film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won Best Film in Giornate degli Autori; Telluride, Toronto, AFI Fest, Reykjavik; and Taipei, where it won the Audience Award.
The Idol, Hany Abu-Assad (2016)
The Idol, Hany Abu-Assad / Palestine-UK-Qatar-Netherlands-Egypt-United Arab Emirates, 2016
Gaza, 2005. Despite the despair of their suroundings, ten-year-old Mohammed and his sister, Nour, spend their days immersed in childhood games and music, playing in a band with two friends. They soon become known a local act, performing at weddings and other celebrations. A family tragedy strikes while Mohammed is still young—seven years later, he becomes intent on entering Arab Idol, a spin-off of the popular American television contest. As the blockade on Gaza intensifies, Mohammed must smuggle himself across perilous borders to the auditions in Cairo—the first of many steps on the path to fulfill his dreams.
Based on the real-life ascent of Mohammed Assaf from a Gazan refugee camp to cultural idol, UN ambassador, and symbol for Palestinian rights worldwide, The Idol is a heartwarming journey through labyrinths of adversity, music, familial love, and hope. From the director of Omar, Hany Abu-Assad's sixth film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Rotterdam, São Paulo, and Antalya, where it won Best Director.
The Kindergarten Teacher, Nadav Lapid (2014)
The Kindergarten Teacher, Nadav Lapid / Israel-France, 2014
Middle-aged Nira works in an elementary school. She has a decent relationship with her husband, a low-level bureaucrat, and sees her children from time to time. While her life may lack inspiration, Nira soon encounters a young genius in her midst—the poems of Yoav, her five-year-old student, are some of the most beautiful she has ever heard. Unable to untether herself from a fascination in his genius, Nira's interest in the boy soon turns to obsession, as she resorts to increasingly audacious measures to cultivate his talent.
Later made into an English-language adaptation featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Kindergarten Teacher probes the limits of what an individual will do to protect, and vicariously attain, creative genius. Nadav Lapid's second feature premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Locarno, BFI London, San Francisco, Vienna, and New Directors/New Films. The Kindergarten Teacher is a New York Times Critics' Pick.
Salt of This Sea, Annemarie Jacir (2008)