The Israeli Film Festival is back in 2013 for its tenth anniversary, showcasing some of the country’s finest foreign award winning and local films.
TOM Magazine had a sneak peek at the following titles which can be seen as the festival tours nationally, taking place at Palace Cinemas in Brisbane:
Out In The Dark
Out in the Dark is the controversial feature debut from director Michael Mayer, who uses the film to comment on sexuality, geography and politics in his homeland. Lawyer Roy meets psychology student Nimr, and after an obvious spark the two begin a romantic relationship. Caught up in a web of violence when his friend Mustafa is murdered by his brother’s gang, Nimr is constantly on edge – even moreso by hiding his true sexuality. Gritty and dark, this drama/thriller meshes sensuality with honest humanity.
A Bottle in the Gaza Sea
It’s not often we see an affectionate story set on the Gaza strip. French-Israeli Tal cannot understand the recent attack upon a local café – and in a quest to find answers, she asks a friend to throw a bottle in the ocean near Gaza. The message? An explanation as to why these attacks have been occurring. In Gaza, Naim finds the bottle, replies and the two begin to form a relationship across the sea. This is a great look at the Israeli/Palestinian conflict from the perspective of the younger generation who are forced to suffer the consequences from years of violence.
Big Bad Wolves
This one isn’t for the faint of heart. Big Bad Wolves might sound like a fairytale, but the story is anything but. Local Bible teacher Dror is arrested and questioned in regards to the recent sexual abuse and horrific murder of a young girl. Gidi, the girl’s father, takes matters into his own hands – which truly isn’t in Dror’s favour. Sadistic and designed to highlight the flaws of its characters, Big Bad Wolves is particular to its violence and will make audiences squirm.
The Israeli Film Festival is now playing at Palace Cinemas from the 20-26th of August
