In February 2020 we - the Jerusalem Cinematheque and the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem - presented a week of films from the Middle East. Weeks later the Corona epidemic broke out which brought about huge changes and it seems that the world after it is not the same as it was before. One thing, however, has not changed: Israel is still part of the Middle East. In the two years that have passed since the previous program, the Abraham Accords were signed, creating a new bridge between Israel and the Middle East. Israelis were privileged to visit the glittering scenery of the United Emirates, but it seems that the new peace bridge between the two corners of the Middle East suppresses the everyday, the less than glamorous reality of the entire region.
The program we will present this month stems from the same motives that led us to hold the program two years ago: the desire to bring the faces and voices of our neighbors to the Israeli audience. These are films centered mainly on young heroes who are trying to make their way in life within a fixed and harsh reality, which does not offer a horizons or hope. They examine the status of women, the interface between tradition and contemporary life, and the way in which the establishment (religious, political and military) clasps the lives of its residents. The though-provoking and stirring films are made with considerable talent.
This is an opportunity to get closer and beyond the media headlines and the orientalist view of the Middle Easte. Perhaps from looking at the social and human questions that occupy our neighbors, a certain similarity to the questions and crises that also characterize our society will emerge. The screening of each film will be accompanied by a short lecture by researchers who will discuss the broad social, cultural and political issues arising from the film and offer original and innovative perspectives on reality, human existence and creativity.
