No reasonably intelligent person imagines an artist’s statement about the horrors in Gaza would, in fact, end those horrors, but there are always limits to what one can take and hopes for what one could do. It might even be said that, as observers of the world and human behavior, filmmakers are especially inclined to recoil. When I interviewed Pedro Costa last month he spoke, unprompted, of a situation that’s only grown worse: “It’s very clear that we cannot stand images anymore. I can’t. I can’t. The images of the world for me [Exhales] I can’t. I turn my eyes, and I’m sure you do the same. It’s unbearable.” When I spoke with Anthony Dod Mantle a couple of weeks later it, again, emerged––vis-a-vis The Zone of Interest, whose own cinematographer alluded to it the next day. It’s difficult being a person in the world,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Simone Bitton, a Paris-based, French-Moroccan director whose work has primarily concentrated on the history and cultures of North Africa and the Middle East, makes her debut in the Masters section at IDFA—arguably the most prestigious of the documentary festival’s strands—with the world premiere of “Ziyara.”
Bitton herself has mixed feelings about the accolade, as she makes quite clear. “I don’t consider myself a master,” she says. “I know that I have some kind of experience and maybe my experience is a little particular, but to be a master, I’m not sure I like it. It puts you in a category, it labels you: ‘That’s it—that’s what she’s doing’—and I hope to do more films and maybe different films. Nonetheless, I take it as an honor.”
For her latest film, Bitton returned to her homeland, where “ziyara”—or “the visit of...
Bitton herself has mixed feelings about the accolade, as she makes quite clear. “I don’t consider myself a master,” she says. “I know that I have some kind of experience and maybe my experience is a little particular, but to be a master, I’m not sure I like it. It puts you in a category, it labels you: ‘That’s it—that’s what she’s doing’—and I hope to do more films and maybe different films. Nonetheless, I take it as an honor.”
For her latest film, Bitton returned to her homeland, where “ziyara”—or “the visit of...
- 11/27/2020
- by Kaleem Aftab
- Variety Film + TV
Lamia Chraibi, a leading producer of daring films from the Middle East and North Africa region, is developing “Meskoun,” an ambitious pan-Arab genre-bending series with Moroccan filmmaker Hicham Lasri (“Jahilya”) on board as showrunner.
Chraibi (“Mimosas”) will produce the 14-episode series with her Moroccan banner La Prod, along with Mohamed Hefzy’s Egyptian company Film Clinic, Lebanese outfit Abbout Productions and Habib Attia’s Tunisian company Cinetelefilms.
“Meskoun” follows Lotfi, a young man who lost his fiancée and decides to take off to Europe without a permit, and tries crossing the sea. But Lotfi ends up drowning in high waters with seven other illegal immigrants from different nationalities. A month later, he reemerges inhabited by the souls of the seven strangers who drowned with him. In order to free himself from these souls, Lotfi, who has become a sort of unwilling superhero, must accomplish their respective last wish, taking him...
Chraibi (“Mimosas”) will produce the 14-episode series with her Moroccan banner La Prod, along with Mohamed Hefzy’s Egyptian company Film Clinic, Lebanese outfit Abbout Productions and Habib Attia’s Tunisian company Cinetelefilms.
“Meskoun” follows Lotfi, a young man who lost his fiancée and decides to take off to Europe without a permit, and tries crossing the sea. But Lotfi ends up drowning in high waters with seven other illegal immigrants from different nationalities. A month later, he reemerges inhabited by the souls of the seven strangers who drowned with him. In order to free himself from these souls, Lotfi, who has become a sort of unwilling superhero, must accomplish their respective last wish, taking him...
- 12/5/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
More than 200 filmmakers and industry professionals have signed a petition calling on the Locarno Film Festival to drop a planned Israel Film Focus, organised in partnership with the state-backed Israel Film Fund. Ken Loach, Mira Nair, Sally El Hosaini as well as Israeli filmmakers Simone Bitton, Eyal Sivan and Rachel Leah Jones were among the signatories, who expressed, “our deep concern with the fact that the Locarno festival is choosing to partner with the Israel Film…...
- 4/17/2015
- Deadline TV
More than 200 filmmakers and industry professionals have signed a petition calling on the Locarno Film Festival to drop a planned Israel Film Focus, organised in partnership with the state-backed Israel Film Fund. Ken Loach, Mira Nair, Sally El Hosaini as well as Israeli filmmakers Simone Bitton, Eyal Sivan and Rachel Leah Jones were among the signatories, who expressed, “our deep concern with the fact that the Locarno festival is choosing to partner with the Israel Film…...
- 4/17/2015
- Deadline
Ken Loach, Simone Bitton, Walter Bernstein, Annemarie Jacir and Elia Suleiman among signatories of petition; Locarno Film Festival issues statement.
More than 200 filmmakers and industry professionals are urging the Locarno Film Festival to drop a planned focus on Israel this summer, being organised in partnership with the state-backed Israeli Film Fund
Ken Loach, a Locarno regular and recipient of its Leopard of Honour in 2003, is among the petitioners alongside screenwriter Walter Bernstein and composer Richard Horowitz.
Other protestors include Israeli filmmakers Simone Bitton, Rachel Leah Jones and Eyal Sivan, and Palestinian directors Annemarie Jacir, Elia Suleiman and Hany Abu-Assad.
But a statement from Locarno said the festival “has always been a place of freedom of expression” and that it would not drop the focus, which would “represent an important opportunity for debate and dialogue, within the context of cultural enrichment”.
Click here for the petition in fullScroll down for Locarno’s statement
The Swiss lakeside, summer festival...
More than 200 filmmakers and industry professionals are urging the Locarno Film Festival to drop a planned focus on Israel this summer, being organised in partnership with the state-backed Israeli Film Fund
Ken Loach, a Locarno regular and recipient of its Leopard of Honour in 2003, is among the petitioners alongside screenwriter Walter Bernstein and composer Richard Horowitz.
Other protestors include Israeli filmmakers Simone Bitton, Rachel Leah Jones and Eyal Sivan, and Palestinian directors Annemarie Jacir, Elia Suleiman and Hany Abu-Assad.
But a statement from Locarno said the festival “has always been a place of freedom of expression” and that it would not drop the focus, which would “represent an important opportunity for debate and dialogue, within the context of cultural enrichment”.
Click here for the petition in fullScroll down for Locarno’s statement
The Swiss lakeside, summer festival...
- 4/16/2015
- ScreenDaily
Ciné-Sud has two films selected for Toronto: the Iranian feature “ Red Rose” (handled internationally by Udi – Urban Distribution International) and the Vietnam-France-Norway-Germany co-production “Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere” by Nguyen Hoang Diep which will premiere September 1st, 2nd and 3rd in Venice/ Critics Week before moving to Toronto And with no international sales agent to date.
In Locarno, "Los ausentes" (“The Absent Ones) by Nicolas Pereda, a Mèxico-Spain-France coproduction is screening out of competition on August 11! The international sales agent is Caravan Pass, a former production company formed in 2005 in Paris by Natalie Dana. In 2014 founder Natalie and industry celeb-acquisitions persona, Elizabeth Dreyer, turned the company to international sales as well. They are actively seeking completed/ unlaunched films and projects at the financing stage.
Natalie Dana worked in sales at some of the industry’s most recognizable sales agencies, including Mercure and Celluloid Dreams. She also headed distribution for various film distributors and selected films for the prestigious Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival for five years. Under her guidance, Caravan Pass has produced or co-produced four feature films and two documentaries, partnering with notable production companies in several countries including Brazil and Italy.
Elizabeth Dreyer began her career in acquisitions, acquiring completed films and projects for North America for Miramax Films and Focus Features. As an independent consultant she has since sourced and sold remakes to international producers, advised renowned distributors around the world on pre-buys and completed film pickups, and developed feature films for proven French film producers looking to access the international market. She most recently handled sales and acquisitions for Celluloid Dreams.
Ciné-Sud Promotion itself started in 1993 as a company designed to promote art house films (Rachid Bouchareb, Wang Chao, Guillermo Del Toro, Raymond Depardon, Djibril Diop Mambety, Julio Medem, Jafar Panahi, Manuel Poirier, Arturo Ripstein, Paulo Rocha, Carlos Saura, Paolo & Vittorio Taviani, Jean-Philippe Toussaint… amongst others). There is still the press promotion department which is now under the leadership of Claire Viroulaud, publicist for many art house movies.
In 2001 Thierry Lenouvel, the founder, created a production arm and has thus far produced or co-produced 30 films which have won more 150 international awards.
The mission remains constant: Quality, without frontiers, without constraints of form, style or genre, researching emerging talents and supporting already acclaimed directors with projects whch deliver a singular and important message for and about humanity and our society utilizing strong cinematic forms.
This is only a part of all Thierry has created. Read on, dear reader, read on.
Amiens International Film Festival
Although many festivals now have competitions for cash prizes and forums for pitching and co-production meetings, Amiens stands out with its Fund for Aid for the Development of Feature Film Script and its ties to its creator, Ciné Sud, that privately owned feature film production company transformed by prolific producer Thierry Lenouvel created the Fund in 1996.
The Screenplay Development Fund (Fonds d'aide au développment du scénario or Fads) is awarded during the Amiens Film Festival to a project at one of the most critical stages in the life of a movie, that is at script stage. In its 19 years of existence it has supported 79 feature film scripts of which 39 were completed, 9 are shooting now, 21 are in development. More than 632,600 Euros have been granted. Cnac, the Venezuelan film organization has given a grant of 10,000 € for the past five years.
Fads partners: National Film Centre and Moving • International Organization of la Francophonie • Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs • Moroccan National Center for Cinema (Ccm) • Groupama Gan Foundation for Cinema • Regional Council of Picardy • Central Fund for Social Activities picture • Independent National Film Centre (Cnac - Venezuela)
In 2014, four scholarships of € 10,000 each were granted to directors of the following projects:
Family Gustavo Cordova Rondon (Venezuela) which has also won:
Cnac Script Development Fund (Venezuela)
Amiens Script Development Fund 2013
Ibermedia Development Fund 2013
And it has been selected to participate at:
Produire Au Sud Andean Workshop 2013
Ibermedia Project Development Workshop 2013
Oaxaca Screenwriters Lab 2014
Berlinale Talent Project Market 2014
The Court Of My Mother Idriss Diabaté (Côte d'Ivoire)
My Favorite Fabric Gaya Jiji (Syria)
Territoria Nora Martirosyan (Armenia)
And an additional grant of € 7,000 was awarded to the French project Dance Silent of Pradeepan Raveendran.
The rules and the application form of the next Script Fund of Amiens (due August 18!) that he created is available online or on request…from Thierry or even from me!
And, last but not least, Thierry brings "Cinema in Motion" from San Sebastian (who decided to stop the program in 2013) to Venice where it's now called " Final Cut in Venice", a workshop to help six works in progress from Africa and Arabic World toward completion with the support of French and Italian technical industries.
For more information contact:
Thierry Lenouvel
thierry [At] cinesudpromotion.com
Some films produced by Ciné-Sud:
Tirana. Year Zero by Fatmir Koci (France/Albania/ Belgium), Competition/Venice 2001, Golden Alexander/Thessaloniki
Rachida by Yamina Bachir Chouikh (France/Algeria), Official Selection/Cannes 2002
Fuse ! (Gori Vatra) by Pjer Zalica (Bosnia/Austria/Turkey/France), Silver Leopard/Locarno 2003
Wall by Simone Bitton (France/Israel), Directors Fortnight/Cannes 2004, Special Jury Prize/Sundance, Grand Prix/Marseille, Pesaro, Montreal, Jerusalem
Moolaade by Sembene Ousmane (Sénégal/France/Burkina/Maroc), Grand Prix Un Certain Regard/Cannes 2004, Best Foreign Film/American Critics Awards
Falafel by Michel Kammoun (Lebanon/France), Bayard d’Or/Namur 2006, Silver Muhr/Dubai, Bronze Palm/Valencia
Pomegranates And Myrrh by Najwa Najjar (Palestine/Germany/France), Competition/Sundance 2009, Rotterdam, 1st price in Doha
Rachel by Simone Bitton (France/Belgium), Forum/Berlin 2009, Competition/Cinema du Réel 2009
Every Day Is A Holliday by Dima El Horr (France/Lebanon/Germany),Toronto 2009, Roma, Dubai, Rotterdam, New York 2010
Mothers by Milcho Manchevski (Macedonia/Bulgaria/France),Toronto 2010, Berlin (Panorama) 2011
The Stoplight Society by Ruben Mendoza (Colombia/France/Spain/ Germany), best Colombian film of the year/Cartagena 2011, Best Director/Amiens 2010, Best 1st film/Huelva 2010
El Campo by Hernan Belon (Argentina/Italy/France) – Venice 2011/Critics Week
Fat, Bald, Short Man (Colombia/France) – more than 20 selections in 2011/2012
La Playa by Juan Andres Arango (Colombia/Brazil/France) – Cannes 2012/Official Selection, Un Certain Regard
Villegas by Gonzalo Tobal (Argentina/France) – Cannes 2012/Official Selection
La Sirga by William Vega (Colombia/Mexico/France) – Cannes 2012/Directors Fortnight
Qissa by Anup Singh (India/Germany/France/Holland) – Toronto 2013/Netpac award, Rotterdam 2014/Audience Award
Dust On The Tongue by Ruben Mendoza (Columbia/France) – Cartagena 2014/Best film, best director
Mateo by Maria Gamboa (Colombia/France) – Cartagena 2014/Jury Special award
Run, Boy, Run by Pepe Danquart (Germany/France) – Cannes Junior 2014
In post-production :
Red Rose by Sepideh Farsi (Iran/France/Grèce)
Los Ausentes by Nicolas Pereda (Mexico/Spain/France)
Ausencia by Chico Teixeira (Brazil/France)
Flapping In The Middle Of Nowhere by Nguyen Hiang Diep (Vietnam/France/Norvège/Allemagne)
In development :
Kill Two Birds With One Stone by Fejria Deliba (France)
Embrace Of The Serpent by Ciro Guerra (Colombie/Vénézuela/France)
Mantra, Song Of Scorpions by Anup Singh (Inde/Suisse/France)
Sal by William Vega (Colombie/Allemagne/France)
Parable Of A Blind Christ (Chili/France)
Land And Shade by Cesar Acevedo (Colombie/France)
D’Une Rive L’Autre by Sepideh Farsi (France)...
In Locarno, "Los ausentes" (“The Absent Ones) by Nicolas Pereda, a Mèxico-Spain-France coproduction is screening out of competition on August 11! The international sales agent is Caravan Pass, a former production company formed in 2005 in Paris by Natalie Dana. In 2014 founder Natalie and industry celeb-acquisitions persona, Elizabeth Dreyer, turned the company to international sales as well. They are actively seeking completed/ unlaunched films and projects at the financing stage.
Natalie Dana worked in sales at some of the industry’s most recognizable sales agencies, including Mercure and Celluloid Dreams. She also headed distribution for various film distributors and selected films for the prestigious Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival for five years. Under her guidance, Caravan Pass has produced or co-produced four feature films and two documentaries, partnering with notable production companies in several countries including Brazil and Italy.
Elizabeth Dreyer began her career in acquisitions, acquiring completed films and projects for North America for Miramax Films and Focus Features. As an independent consultant she has since sourced and sold remakes to international producers, advised renowned distributors around the world on pre-buys and completed film pickups, and developed feature films for proven French film producers looking to access the international market. She most recently handled sales and acquisitions for Celluloid Dreams.
Ciné-Sud Promotion itself started in 1993 as a company designed to promote art house films (Rachid Bouchareb, Wang Chao, Guillermo Del Toro, Raymond Depardon, Djibril Diop Mambety, Julio Medem, Jafar Panahi, Manuel Poirier, Arturo Ripstein, Paulo Rocha, Carlos Saura, Paolo & Vittorio Taviani, Jean-Philippe Toussaint… amongst others). There is still the press promotion department which is now under the leadership of Claire Viroulaud, publicist for many art house movies.
In 2001 Thierry Lenouvel, the founder, created a production arm and has thus far produced or co-produced 30 films which have won more 150 international awards.
The mission remains constant: Quality, without frontiers, without constraints of form, style or genre, researching emerging talents and supporting already acclaimed directors with projects whch deliver a singular and important message for and about humanity and our society utilizing strong cinematic forms.
This is only a part of all Thierry has created. Read on, dear reader, read on.
Amiens International Film Festival
Although many festivals now have competitions for cash prizes and forums for pitching and co-production meetings, Amiens stands out with its Fund for Aid for the Development of Feature Film Script and its ties to its creator, Ciné Sud, that privately owned feature film production company transformed by prolific producer Thierry Lenouvel created the Fund in 1996.
The Screenplay Development Fund (Fonds d'aide au développment du scénario or Fads) is awarded during the Amiens Film Festival to a project at one of the most critical stages in the life of a movie, that is at script stage. In its 19 years of existence it has supported 79 feature film scripts of which 39 were completed, 9 are shooting now, 21 are in development. More than 632,600 Euros have been granted. Cnac, the Venezuelan film organization has given a grant of 10,000 € for the past five years.
Fads partners: National Film Centre and Moving • International Organization of la Francophonie • Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs • Moroccan National Center for Cinema (Ccm) • Groupama Gan Foundation for Cinema • Regional Council of Picardy • Central Fund for Social Activities picture • Independent National Film Centre (Cnac - Venezuela)
In 2014, four scholarships of € 10,000 each were granted to directors of the following projects:
Family Gustavo Cordova Rondon (Venezuela) which has also won:
Cnac Script Development Fund (Venezuela)
Amiens Script Development Fund 2013
Ibermedia Development Fund 2013
And it has been selected to participate at:
Produire Au Sud Andean Workshop 2013
Ibermedia Project Development Workshop 2013
Oaxaca Screenwriters Lab 2014
Berlinale Talent Project Market 2014
The Court Of My Mother Idriss Diabaté (Côte d'Ivoire)
My Favorite Fabric Gaya Jiji (Syria)
Territoria Nora Martirosyan (Armenia)
And an additional grant of € 7,000 was awarded to the French project Dance Silent of Pradeepan Raveendran.
The rules and the application form of the next Script Fund of Amiens (due August 18!) that he created is available online or on request…from Thierry or even from me!
And, last but not least, Thierry brings "Cinema in Motion" from San Sebastian (who decided to stop the program in 2013) to Venice where it's now called " Final Cut in Venice", a workshop to help six works in progress from Africa and Arabic World toward completion with the support of French and Italian technical industries.
For more information contact:
Thierry Lenouvel
thierry [At] cinesudpromotion.com
Some films produced by Ciné-Sud:
Tirana. Year Zero by Fatmir Koci (France/Albania/ Belgium), Competition/Venice 2001, Golden Alexander/Thessaloniki
Rachida by Yamina Bachir Chouikh (France/Algeria), Official Selection/Cannes 2002
Fuse ! (Gori Vatra) by Pjer Zalica (Bosnia/Austria/Turkey/France), Silver Leopard/Locarno 2003
Wall by Simone Bitton (France/Israel), Directors Fortnight/Cannes 2004, Special Jury Prize/Sundance, Grand Prix/Marseille, Pesaro, Montreal, Jerusalem
Moolaade by Sembene Ousmane (Sénégal/France/Burkina/Maroc), Grand Prix Un Certain Regard/Cannes 2004, Best Foreign Film/American Critics Awards
Falafel by Michel Kammoun (Lebanon/France), Bayard d’Or/Namur 2006, Silver Muhr/Dubai, Bronze Palm/Valencia
Pomegranates And Myrrh by Najwa Najjar (Palestine/Germany/France), Competition/Sundance 2009, Rotterdam, 1st price in Doha
Rachel by Simone Bitton (France/Belgium), Forum/Berlin 2009, Competition/Cinema du Réel 2009
Every Day Is A Holliday by Dima El Horr (France/Lebanon/Germany),Toronto 2009, Roma, Dubai, Rotterdam, New York 2010
Mothers by Milcho Manchevski (Macedonia/Bulgaria/France),Toronto 2010, Berlin (Panorama) 2011
The Stoplight Society by Ruben Mendoza (Colombia/France/Spain/ Germany), best Colombian film of the year/Cartagena 2011, Best Director/Amiens 2010, Best 1st film/Huelva 2010
El Campo by Hernan Belon (Argentina/Italy/France) – Venice 2011/Critics Week
Fat, Bald, Short Man (Colombia/France) – more than 20 selections in 2011/2012
La Playa by Juan Andres Arango (Colombia/Brazil/France) – Cannes 2012/Official Selection, Un Certain Regard
Villegas by Gonzalo Tobal (Argentina/France) – Cannes 2012/Official Selection
La Sirga by William Vega (Colombia/Mexico/France) – Cannes 2012/Directors Fortnight
Qissa by Anup Singh (India/Germany/France/Holland) – Toronto 2013/Netpac award, Rotterdam 2014/Audience Award
Dust On The Tongue by Ruben Mendoza (Columbia/France) – Cartagena 2014/Best film, best director
Mateo by Maria Gamboa (Colombia/France) – Cartagena 2014/Jury Special award
Run, Boy, Run by Pepe Danquart (Germany/France) – Cannes Junior 2014
In post-production :
Red Rose by Sepideh Farsi (Iran/France/Grèce)
Los Ausentes by Nicolas Pereda (Mexico/Spain/France)
Ausencia by Chico Teixeira (Brazil/France)
Flapping In The Middle Of Nowhere by Nguyen Hiang Diep (Vietnam/France/Norvège/Allemagne)
In development :
Kill Two Birds With One Stone by Fejria Deliba (France)
Embrace Of The Serpent by Ciro Guerra (Colombie/Vénézuela/France)
Mantra, Song Of Scorpions by Anup Singh (Inde/Suisse/France)
Sal by William Vega (Colombie/Allemagne/France)
Parable Of A Blind Christ (Chili/France)
Land And Shade by Cesar Acevedo (Colombie/France)
D’Une Rive L’Autre by Sepideh Farsi (France)...
- 8/8/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Women Make Movies, founded in 1972 as a feminist filmmakers’ collective has developed into an industry-leading nonprofit media arts organization and distributor. For over 40 years, Wmm has transformed the landscape of filmmaking for women directors and producers, bringing issues facing women around the world to screens everywhere. Now with more than 550 films in their catalog, including Academy®, Emmy®, Peabody and Sundance nominees and award winners, Wmm is the largest distributor of films by and about women in the world For Everyone.
At this moment in history, as we see the culmination of crises that worldwide society has created (I won’t name names or genders here), it is especially important that women’s voices be raised, heard and listened to by “the other half”.
In light of the recent military escalation and broken cease-fire negotiations in Israel and Palestine, Wmm is offering the titles in its Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: New Perspectives Collection because it is important that the perspectives often not covered in the mainstream media are heard. This powerful and poignant collection offers insight into women's lives in the region with honesty and humanity. Enter code ISRPALE14 at checkout to apply your discount on its Us$99 package offer.
"For My Children"
A film by Michal Aviad
Israel, 2002, 65 minutes
In October 2000, as the second Palestinian Intifada erupts, Israeli filmmaker Michal Aviad begins a video exploration about both the moral and mundane dilemmas she faces every day in Tel Aviv. What begins with deceptive simplicity-a tender scene of sending the children off to school-quickly becomes a profound study of vulnerability and anxiety. Small acts like crossing the street are charged with inescapable fear. As the nightmare of violence escalates over the coming months, Michal and her husband Shimshon ask the quintessential Diaspora Jewish question, "When is it time to go?" The question reverberates through a stream of images-public and private, home video and historic archival footage-as her parents and extended family recount their own journeys to Israel from Europe, escaping death and the Holocaust, and from America, out of ideological commitment to Israel. Their stories are told with vivid, beautiful detail-at a bucolic family picnic, during a vacation on the California coast-and with a degree of candor and intimacy rarely seen in Israeli cinema. "I don't want to be an immigrant," says Shimshon, a political activist whose profound feelings about displacement and exile are interwoven with TV images of war, children asleep in their beds, grandma making pasta and the sounds of sirens. Tanks roll over the hills as tea is being made in the kitchen in a cosmic seesaw between blissful domesticity and the nightmare of public life, in this deeply moving and riveting video essay.
"Leila Khaled: Hijacker" A film by Lina Makboul
Sweden/Jordan, 2005, 58 minutes
In 1969 Palestinian Leila Khaled made history by becoming the first woman to hijack an airplane. As a Palestinian child growing up in Sweden, filmmaker Lina Makboul admired Khaled for her bold actions; as an adult, she began asking complex questions about the legacy created by her childhood hero. This fascinating documentary is at once a portrait of Khaled, an exploration of the filmmaker’s own understanding of her Palestinian identity, and a complicated examination of the nebulous dichotomy between "terrorist" and "freedom fighter."
When Makboul tracks Khaled down, she finds Khaled living an ordinary life in Jordan, still firm in her belief that her actions were necessary and fully justified. The film weaves together scenes with Khaled, archival footage, and interviews with the people who were on the planes Khaled hijacked. Makboul searches for a way to reconcile her understanding of the Palestinian national narrative - which now includes Khaled’s actions - with the negative image she encounters from the rest of the world of Palestinians as bloodthirsty terrorists. At the same time, she comes to know Khaled for the very real person that she is as they talk, travel together, and share meals. The result is a multi-dimensional film unlike any other in its skillful handling of the complexities that arise when liberation movements incorporate violence as a tactic.
"My Israel – Revisiting the Trilogy" A film by Yulie Cohen
Israel, 2008, 78 minutes
Few filmmakers have probed issues of Israeli nationalism and Israeli-Palestinian relations more completely or intimately than Tel Aviv-born Yulie Cohen. In My Israel, Cohen revisits her acclaimed trilogy "My Terrorist" (2002), "My Land Zion" (2004), and "My Brother" (2007) with new footage, fresh perspective, and her trademark fearlessness.
For Cohen, Israel is the land of her ancestors, the land her parents fought for during the 1948 war and the land she herself served as an Air Force Officer during the Entebbe crisis. In 1978, working as an El Al stewardess, she survived a terrorist attack in London that killed a colleague and left her with shrapnel in her arm.
Embarking on a difficult and emotional journey, she attempts to free the surviving terrorist who attacked her, to question the myths of the state that she grew up in, and to reconcile with her ultra-orthodox brother after 25 years of estrangement. My Israel is an account of remarkable courage and understanding set against the last turbulent decade of Israeli history, successfully combining Cohen’s 10-year oeuvre in an incisive and refreshing new way.
"Rachel"
A film by Simone Bitton
France/Belgium, 2009, 100 minutes
"Rachel" is a startlingly rigorous, fascinating and deeply moving investigatory documentary that examines the death of peace activist and International Solidarity Movement (Ism) member Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003. A few weeks after her little-reported death, an inquiry by Israeli military police concluded that Corrie died in an accident. Simone Bitton (Wall), an award-winning documentary filmmaker who is a citizen of both France and Israel, has crafted a dispassionate but devastating essay investigating the circumstances of Rachel Corrie’s death—including astounding eyewitness testimony from activists, soldiers, Israeli Defense Force army spokespersons and physicians, as well as insights from Corrie’s parents, mentors and diaries.
In assembling a thorough and candid account of the event, using both visual and narrative evidence, Bitton’s quietly persistent questioning manages to accomplish what the inadequate legal proceedings and the overheated press coverage did not: an unflinching examination that refuses to exculpate or equivocate. By aligning her filmmaking methodology with the Ism’s guidelines to state only objective and concrete details without placing judgment, Bitton examines the circumstances surrounding the unresolved case of Corrie's death. The film begins like a classic documentary, but soon develops, transcending its subject and establishing a candid new visual approach for bearing witness. With understated cinematic techniques, Bitton captures the spirit of Rachel's youth, idealism, and political commitment amidst sweeping landscapes of Gaza and a portrait of daily life under ever-present military aggression.
"Ramleh" A film by Michal Aviad
Israel, 2001, 58 minutes
A timely and powerful look at the ideological, cultural and political conflicts in contemporary Israel, this highly original documentary profiles three seemingly disparate women residing in the town of Ramleh. Located in the heartland of the Israel, this former Palestinian territory serves as a microcosm of the beliefs, biases and conflicts of women living in the country today.
Profiled in this compelling documentary are Sima and Orly, two ultra-orthodox Jewish women who rediscover religion and enthusiastically support the conservative “Shas” party, the third largest political party in Israel; Svetlana, a single-mother and recent immigrant struggling to establish herself in her new country; and Gehad, a young Muslim teacher and law student attempting to find a sense of national identity in a predominately Jewish state. Filmed between the general elections in 1999 and the 2001 elections, Ramleh demonstrates the profound cultural and political divisions barring these women from living together as a united community, as well as reveals how their political landscape helped sow the seeds of the intifada in 2000. It similarly raises the question of whether each woman and the communities they represent will ever peacefully reconcile their search for tradition, religion and homeland.
"Egyptian Salad"
A film by Nadia Kamel
Egypt/Switzerland/France, 2008, 105 minutes
Award-winning Egyptian filmmaker Nadia Kamel’s heritage is a complex blend of religions and cultures. Her mother is a half-Jewish, half-Italian Christian who converted to Islam when she married Nadia’s half-Turkish, half-Ukrainian father. Prompted by the realization that her 10-year-old nephew Nabeel is growing up in an Egyptian society where talk of culture clashes is all too common, she urges her feminist, pacifist, activist mother, Mary Rosenthal, to share their diverse family history.
But, as she and Mary weave their way through the family’s multiethnic fairytales, they bump unexpectedly into the silence around old prejudices concerning the estranged Egyptian-Jewish branch of their family living in Israel since 1948. Bravely inspired to further challenge the boundaries between cultures, religions, and nationalities that are used to divide people, Kamel embarks on an amazing personal journey with her mother and nephew to Israel and Italy, confronting with an open heart, fears and prejudices along the way.
"Women in Struggle"
A film by Buthina Canaan Khoury
Palestine, 2004, 56 minutes
"Women in Struggle" presents rare testimony from four female Palestinian ex-detainees who disclose their experiences during their years of imprisonment in Israeli jails and the effect it has had on their present lives and future outlooks. Once content in their lives as sisters, wives and mothers, each of the women became active members for the national fight for Palestinian independence, but their “crimes” differed markedly–one woman was detained in a peaceful protest while another was arrested for her participation in a bombing.
Their painful recollections provide a fascinating personal perspective on their motives for political involvement, reveal their struggles in prison, and define the difficulties they have faced readjusting to life in Palestinian society. Though the women are now free, they continue to feel imprisoned by the current climate of the Intifada, by the “war on terror” and by the recently built “security” wall. With horrifying stories of torture suffered while in Israeli detention, the film brings to the forefront the hot-button issue of human rights abuses in prisons—and its particular implications for women prisoners. It also grapples with timely and difficult questions—what politicizes an individual? Are people born to fight, or do their circumstances force them to do so?
Presented without narration, "Women in Struggle" does not categorize its subjects as heroes or criminals, instead letting the women’s voices stand on their own to add another layer to the complex discourse on Israel.
At this moment in history, as we see the culmination of crises that worldwide society has created (I won’t name names or genders here), it is especially important that women’s voices be raised, heard and listened to by “the other half”.
In light of the recent military escalation and broken cease-fire negotiations in Israel and Palestine, Wmm is offering the titles in its Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: New Perspectives Collection because it is important that the perspectives often not covered in the mainstream media are heard. This powerful and poignant collection offers insight into women's lives in the region with honesty and humanity. Enter code ISRPALE14 at checkout to apply your discount on its Us$99 package offer.
"For My Children"
A film by Michal Aviad
Israel, 2002, 65 minutes
In October 2000, as the second Palestinian Intifada erupts, Israeli filmmaker Michal Aviad begins a video exploration about both the moral and mundane dilemmas she faces every day in Tel Aviv. What begins with deceptive simplicity-a tender scene of sending the children off to school-quickly becomes a profound study of vulnerability and anxiety. Small acts like crossing the street are charged with inescapable fear. As the nightmare of violence escalates over the coming months, Michal and her husband Shimshon ask the quintessential Diaspora Jewish question, "When is it time to go?" The question reverberates through a stream of images-public and private, home video and historic archival footage-as her parents and extended family recount their own journeys to Israel from Europe, escaping death and the Holocaust, and from America, out of ideological commitment to Israel. Their stories are told with vivid, beautiful detail-at a bucolic family picnic, during a vacation on the California coast-and with a degree of candor and intimacy rarely seen in Israeli cinema. "I don't want to be an immigrant," says Shimshon, a political activist whose profound feelings about displacement and exile are interwoven with TV images of war, children asleep in their beds, grandma making pasta and the sounds of sirens. Tanks roll over the hills as tea is being made in the kitchen in a cosmic seesaw between blissful domesticity and the nightmare of public life, in this deeply moving and riveting video essay.
"Leila Khaled: Hijacker" A film by Lina Makboul
Sweden/Jordan, 2005, 58 minutes
In 1969 Palestinian Leila Khaled made history by becoming the first woman to hijack an airplane. As a Palestinian child growing up in Sweden, filmmaker Lina Makboul admired Khaled for her bold actions; as an adult, she began asking complex questions about the legacy created by her childhood hero. This fascinating documentary is at once a portrait of Khaled, an exploration of the filmmaker’s own understanding of her Palestinian identity, and a complicated examination of the nebulous dichotomy between "terrorist" and "freedom fighter."
When Makboul tracks Khaled down, she finds Khaled living an ordinary life in Jordan, still firm in her belief that her actions were necessary and fully justified. The film weaves together scenes with Khaled, archival footage, and interviews with the people who were on the planes Khaled hijacked. Makboul searches for a way to reconcile her understanding of the Palestinian national narrative - which now includes Khaled’s actions - with the negative image she encounters from the rest of the world of Palestinians as bloodthirsty terrorists. At the same time, she comes to know Khaled for the very real person that she is as they talk, travel together, and share meals. The result is a multi-dimensional film unlike any other in its skillful handling of the complexities that arise when liberation movements incorporate violence as a tactic.
"My Israel – Revisiting the Trilogy" A film by Yulie Cohen
Israel, 2008, 78 minutes
Few filmmakers have probed issues of Israeli nationalism and Israeli-Palestinian relations more completely or intimately than Tel Aviv-born Yulie Cohen. In My Israel, Cohen revisits her acclaimed trilogy "My Terrorist" (2002), "My Land Zion" (2004), and "My Brother" (2007) with new footage, fresh perspective, and her trademark fearlessness.
For Cohen, Israel is the land of her ancestors, the land her parents fought for during the 1948 war and the land she herself served as an Air Force Officer during the Entebbe crisis. In 1978, working as an El Al stewardess, she survived a terrorist attack in London that killed a colleague and left her with shrapnel in her arm.
Embarking on a difficult and emotional journey, she attempts to free the surviving terrorist who attacked her, to question the myths of the state that she grew up in, and to reconcile with her ultra-orthodox brother after 25 years of estrangement. My Israel is an account of remarkable courage and understanding set against the last turbulent decade of Israeli history, successfully combining Cohen’s 10-year oeuvre in an incisive and refreshing new way.
"Rachel"
A film by Simone Bitton
France/Belgium, 2009, 100 minutes
"Rachel" is a startlingly rigorous, fascinating and deeply moving investigatory documentary that examines the death of peace activist and International Solidarity Movement (Ism) member Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003. A few weeks after her little-reported death, an inquiry by Israeli military police concluded that Corrie died in an accident. Simone Bitton (Wall), an award-winning documentary filmmaker who is a citizen of both France and Israel, has crafted a dispassionate but devastating essay investigating the circumstances of Rachel Corrie’s death—including astounding eyewitness testimony from activists, soldiers, Israeli Defense Force army spokespersons and physicians, as well as insights from Corrie’s parents, mentors and diaries.
In assembling a thorough and candid account of the event, using both visual and narrative evidence, Bitton’s quietly persistent questioning manages to accomplish what the inadequate legal proceedings and the overheated press coverage did not: an unflinching examination that refuses to exculpate or equivocate. By aligning her filmmaking methodology with the Ism’s guidelines to state only objective and concrete details without placing judgment, Bitton examines the circumstances surrounding the unresolved case of Corrie's death. The film begins like a classic documentary, but soon develops, transcending its subject and establishing a candid new visual approach for bearing witness. With understated cinematic techniques, Bitton captures the spirit of Rachel's youth, idealism, and political commitment amidst sweeping landscapes of Gaza and a portrait of daily life under ever-present military aggression.
"Ramleh" A film by Michal Aviad
Israel, 2001, 58 minutes
A timely and powerful look at the ideological, cultural and political conflicts in contemporary Israel, this highly original documentary profiles three seemingly disparate women residing in the town of Ramleh. Located in the heartland of the Israel, this former Palestinian territory serves as a microcosm of the beliefs, biases and conflicts of women living in the country today.
Profiled in this compelling documentary are Sima and Orly, two ultra-orthodox Jewish women who rediscover religion and enthusiastically support the conservative “Shas” party, the third largest political party in Israel; Svetlana, a single-mother and recent immigrant struggling to establish herself in her new country; and Gehad, a young Muslim teacher and law student attempting to find a sense of national identity in a predominately Jewish state. Filmed between the general elections in 1999 and the 2001 elections, Ramleh demonstrates the profound cultural and political divisions barring these women from living together as a united community, as well as reveals how their political landscape helped sow the seeds of the intifada in 2000. It similarly raises the question of whether each woman and the communities they represent will ever peacefully reconcile their search for tradition, religion and homeland.
"Egyptian Salad"
A film by Nadia Kamel
Egypt/Switzerland/France, 2008, 105 minutes
Award-winning Egyptian filmmaker Nadia Kamel’s heritage is a complex blend of religions and cultures. Her mother is a half-Jewish, half-Italian Christian who converted to Islam when she married Nadia’s half-Turkish, half-Ukrainian father. Prompted by the realization that her 10-year-old nephew Nabeel is growing up in an Egyptian society where talk of culture clashes is all too common, she urges her feminist, pacifist, activist mother, Mary Rosenthal, to share their diverse family history.
But, as she and Mary weave their way through the family’s multiethnic fairytales, they bump unexpectedly into the silence around old prejudices concerning the estranged Egyptian-Jewish branch of their family living in Israel since 1948. Bravely inspired to further challenge the boundaries between cultures, religions, and nationalities that are used to divide people, Kamel embarks on an amazing personal journey with her mother and nephew to Israel and Italy, confronting with an open heart, fears and prejudices along the way.
"Women in Struggle"
A film by Buthina Canaan Khoury
Palestine, 2004, 56 minutes
"Women in Struggle" presents rare testimony from four female Palestinian ex-detainees who disclose their experiences during their years of imprisonment in Israeli jails and the effect it has had on their present lives and future outlooks. Once content in their lives as sisters, wives and mothers, each of the women became active members for the national fight for Palestinian independence, but their “crimes” differed markedly–one woman was detained in a peaceful protest while another was arrested for her participation in a bombing.
Their painful recollections provide a fascinating personal perspective on their motives for political involvement, reveal their struggles in prison, and define the difficulties they have faced readjusting to life in Palestinian society. Though the women are now free, they continue to feel imprisoned by the current climate of the Intifada, by the “war on terror” and by the recently built “security” wall. With horrifying stories of torture suffered while in Israeli detention, the film brings to the forefront the hot-button issue of human rights abuses in prisons—and its particular implications for women prisoners. It also grapples with timely and difficult questions—what politicizes an individual? Are people born to fight, or do their circumstances force them to do so?
Presented without narration, "Women in Struggle" does not categorize its subjects as heroes or criminals, instead letting the women’s voices stand on their own to add another layer to the complex discourse on Israel.
- 7/22/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
"Rachel" by Simone Bitton is a rigorous, fascinating and moving investigative documentary that examines the death of peace activist and International Solidarity Movement (Ism) member Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003. A few weeks after her little-reported death, an inquiry by Israeli military police concluded that Corrie died in an accident. Simone Bitton ("Wall"), an award-winning documentary filmmaker who is ...
- 10/12/2010
- indieWIRE - People
"Rachel" by Simone Bitton is a rigorous, fascinating and moving investigative documentary that examines the death of peace activist and International Solidarity Movement (Ism) member Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003. A few weeks after her little-reported death, an inquiry by Israeli military police concluded that Corrie died in an accident. Simone Bitton ("Wall"), an award-winning documentary filmmaker who is a ...
- 10/12/2010
- Indiewire
"Rachel" by Simone Bitton is a rigorous, fascinating and moving investigative documentary that examines the death of peace activist and International Solidarity Movement (Ism) member Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003. A few weeks after her little-reported death, an inquiry by Israeli military police concluded that Corrie died in an accident. Simone Bitton ("Wall"), an award-winning documentary filmmaker who is a ...
- 10/11/2010
- indieWIRE - People
French-Israeli filmmaker Simone Bitton's controversial film, "Rachel," has been picked up by Women Make Movies (Wmm). The film will have a week-long run at New York's Anthology Film Archives October 8 - 14. "Rachel" is an investigatory documentary that examines the death of peace activist and International Solidarity Movement (Ism) member Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003. A few weeks after ...
- 8/19/2010
- Indiewire
The curtains part yet again as Olympia Film Festival host several concert-worthy guests including Dame Darcy and Death By Doll and a very special visit from Steven Severin of the famed Siouxsie and the Banshees in his Only Northwest performance with his original score for the classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. With generous support, in the form of a $5,000 grant from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, we have been able to increase our capacity to create stronger relationships between filmmakers and the Olympia community, bringing many exciting guests.
Several Northwest premieres are spotlit on the Capitol’s mighty big screen, including the adorable story of Etienne!, as a man takes his terminally ill pet hamster on a bicycle trip up the California coast; the British crime comedy Down Terrace featuring cast members from the original The Office; and the ‘lost’ feature Shut Yer Dirty Little Mouth...
Several Northwest premieres are spotlit on the Capitol’s mighty big screen, including the adorable story of Etienne!, as a man takes his terminally ill pet hamster on a bicycle trip up the California coast; the British crime comedy Down Terrace featuring cast members from the original The Office; and the ‘lost’ feature Shut Yer Dirty Little Mouth...
- 10/17/2009
- MoviesOnline.ca
Rachel is a documentary about Rachel Corrie of Olympia, Washington, one of half a dozen American and British volunteers of the International Solidarity Movement (Ims) stationed in the Gaza Strip city of Rafa in 2003, who was killed while trying to stop the bulldozing of a friend's family home. The Israeli army has denied responsibility, claiming she was crushed by a mound of earth, unseen by the driver, in front of the 65-ton D9 machine regularly used to 'clear' Palestinian areas of suspected terrorist presence. Director Simone Bitton, an Israeli citizen, attempts to find out what exactly happened through video and photo archives shot by Corrie's friends on the day of her death, and military surveillance tapes from the Israeli army, as well as interviews with all of the people present on site and the military police investigators that declared it an accident. It's a sad tale of thwarted attempts at...
- 5/1/2009
- TribecaFilm.com
Rachel is a documentary about Rachel Corrie of Olympia, Washington, one of half a dozen American and British volunteers of the International Solidarity Movement (Ims) stationed in the Gaza Strip city of Rafa in 2003, who was killed while trying to stop the bulldozing of a friend's family home. The Israeli army has denied responsibility, claiming she was crushed by a mound of earth, unseen by the driver, in front of the 65-ton D9 machine regularly used to 'clear' Palestinian areas of suspected terrorist presence. Director Simone Bitton, an Israeli citizen, attempts to find out what exactly happened through video and photo archives shot by Corrie's friends on the day of her death, and military surveillance tapes from the Israeli army, as well as interviews with all of the people present on site and the military police investigators that declared it an accident. It's a sad tale of thwarted attempts at...
- 5/1/2009
- TribecaFilm.com
And here's the rest, including the Midnight Section, all after the break.
Encounters
This collection of engaging and entertaining narrative features and documentaries, a mixture of dark comedies and lighter fare, offers work from returning filmmakers, established talent, and popular subjects, and includes 10 World Premieres. Included in Encounters are performances from Academy Award®-nominated actors Thomas Haden Church, Melissa Leo, Elisabeth Shue; directorial debuts from both Eric Bana and Cheryl Hines (from a screenplay by Adrienne Shelly); stories ranging from an ill-fated man's discovery of inspiration and happiness, dysfunctional families, and unrequited high school crushes to a doc on the emergence of New York’s independent film scene.
• Blank City, directed by Celine Danhier. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Celine Danhier’s kinetic doc mirrors the urgent, anything-goes energy of her subject: the Diy independent film movement that emerged in tandem with punk rock in late ‘70s downtown New York.
Encounters
This collection of engaging and entertaining narrative features and documentaries, a mixture of dark comedies and lighter fare, offers work from returning filmmakers, established talent, and popular subjects, and includes 10 World Premieres. Included in Encounters are performances from Academy Award®-nominated actors Thomas Haden Church, Melissa Leo, Elisabeth Shue; directorial debuts from both Eric Bana and Cheryl Hines (from a screenplay by Adrienne Shelly); stories ranging from an ill-fated man's discovery of inspiration and happiness, dysfunctional families, and unrequited high school crushes to a doc on the emergence of New York’s independent film scene.
• Blank City, directed by Celine Danhier. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Celine Danhier’s kinetic doc mirrors the urgent, anything-goes energy of her subject: the Diy independent film movement that emerged in tandem with punk rock in late ‘70s downtown New York.
- 3/11/2009
- QuietEarth.us
Berlin -- Richard Loncraine's "My One and Only," a '50s-era comedy starring Renee Zellweger and Kevin Bacon, was squeezed into the competition lineup for this year's Berlin International Film Festival, barely a week before the event kicks off.
Zellweger plays a glamorous single mom on the hunt for a rich man to foot the bill for her and her sons' lifestyle. Produced by Merv Griffith Entertainment and Ray Gun Prods., "My One and Only" will have its world premiere in Berlin. Essential Entertainment is handling international sales.
Berlin also added Lone Scherfig's Sundance favorite "An Education" with Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina and Emma Thompson and Davis Guggenheim's music documentary "It Might Get Loud" for its Berlinale Special Galas, ensuring the films will get the red carpet treatment without any of the pressure of competition.
All three films should give an added boost of star power to...
Zellweger plays a glamorous single mom on the hunt for a rich man to foot the bill for her and her sons' lifestyle. Produced by Merv Griffith Entertainment and Ray Gun Prods., "My One and Only" will have its world premiere in Berlin. Essential Entertainment is handling international sales.
Berlin also added Lone Scherfig's Sundance favorite "An Education" with Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina and Emma Thompson and Davis Guggenheim's music documentary "It Might Get Loud" for its Berlinale Special Galas, ensuring the films will get the red carpet treatment without any of the pressure of competition.
All three films should give an added boost of star power to...
- 1/27/2009
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cologne, Germany -- The Berlinale's avant-garde sidebar Forum has completed its lineup, adding new political documentaries from the likes of Hans-Christian Schmid, Simone Bitton and Thomas Heise.
Bitton follows up her Sundance award winner "Wall" (2004) with another documentary focused on the conflict in the Middle East. "Rachel" takes up the story of U.S. peace activist Rachel Corrie, who was killed in 2003 while trying to prevent the destruction of houses in the Gaza Strip.
Schmid, whose drama "Storm" will screen in competition in Berlin, has a Forum entry with the doc "The Wonderful Life of Laundry," a look at the lives of Polish workers who launder the dirty linen trucked across the border from Berlin luxury hotels. Heise's new documentary, "Material" is also set in Berlin and features previously unreleased footage of events surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
Other nonfiction entries at the 2009 Forum include Thai documentary "Citizen Juling,...
Bitton follows up her Sundance award winner "Wall" (2004) with another documentary focused on the conflict in the Middle East. "Rachel" takes up the story of U.S. peace activist Rachel Corrie, who was killed in 2003 while trying to prevent the destruction of houses in the Gaza Strip.
Schmid, whose drama "Storm" will screen in competition in Berlin, has a Forum entry with the doc "The Wonderful Life of Laundry," a look at the lives of Polish workers who launder the dirty linen trucked across the border from Berlin luxury hotels. Heise's new documentary, "Material" is also set in Berlin and features previously unreleased footage of events surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
Other nonfiction entries at the 2009 Forum include Thai documentary "Citizen Juling,...
- 1/19/2009
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund has awarded a total of $395,000 in grants to help fund 11 feature-length documentaries. The fund, established in 2002 by a gift from the Open Society Institute, is dedicated to supporting U.S. and international documentary films and videos that focus on human rights issues, freedom of expression, social justice and civil liberties. The fund has three categories: work in progress, development and supplemental. The amount of each grant varies depending on the status of the project. The recipients for work-in-progress grants are: Anne Aghion, In Rwanda, We Say 'The Family That Does Not Speak Dies' (U.S./France); Shantha Bloemen and JoMarie Fecci, "Western Sahara, Africa's Last Colony" (U.S.); Julie Mallozzi, Monkey Dance (U.S.); Patrice O'Neill, The Fire Next Time (U.S.); Jed Riffe, Waiting to Inhale: Marijuana, Medicine and the Law (U.S.); Susan Stern, The Self-Made Man (U.S.); Pamela Yates, Passage Through Fear (U.S.) The development grant recipient is Fibi Kraus, Marry Me Out (Italy) Receiving supplemental grants are: Simone Bitton, The Wall (Israel/France); Khalo Matabane, Story of a Beautiful Country (South Africa); Jonathan Stack, War Without End (U.S.). Since its inception at the institute, the fund has disbursed more than $2 million to 62 projects.
- 3/26/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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