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Focus on Israeli films

Kelly Jane Torrance
November 30, 2007

Helena Bonham Carter is Esther Reuben, and David Bark-Jones plays the young Bernie Reuben in "Sixty Six."

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It's the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel's existence, and to honor the event, almost half of the films at this year's Washington Jewish Film Festival are Israeli.

The festival runs until Dec. 9 at various venues around the city. Presented by the Washington DCJCC's Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts and co-sponsored by the Embassy of Israel, Washington Jewish Week and Israel in D.C., it's in its 18th year. Its first year featured just eight films. This year, it's presenting 44 features, documentaries and shorts from 11 countries around the world.

The 20 Israeli films include Israel's official submission for the foreign language Oscar this year. "Beaufort" takes place during the Israeli army's 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Based on Ron Leshem's book "Im Yesh Gan Eden" ("If Heaven Exists"), the film focuses on a group of soldiers and their moral dilemmas during the sudden withdrawal after 18 years of occupation. Filmmaker Joseph Cedar, who was stationed in Lebanon himself, won the best director prize at the Berlin International Film Festival for "Beaufort."

Another hard-hitting Israeli film is "To Die in Jerusalem." On March 29, 2002, a teenage Palestinian girl set off a bomb just outside a crowded Jerusalem supermarket. One of the victims was almost the same age as the bomber. Some thought that 17-year-old Rachel Levy even looked like Ayat Al-Akhras. The documentary follows the two families as they cope with their losses, at once so similar and so different. The climax, but little resolution, comes when the two mothers meet face to face.

Not all the films are so dark. Two standouts are lighthearted comedies. Both treat subjects that go to the heart of the Jewish experience, but are at the same time universal.

"Mauvaise foi" ("Bad Faith") is a French-Belgian co-production that stars two of France's hottest young stars, both of whom are known to art-house aficionados here in the States. Cecile De France starred in the charming French film "Avenue Montaigne." Roschdy Zem starred in "Days of Glory," which was nominated for a best foreign language film Oscar. Mr. Zem makes his directorial debut with this funny and touching look at religion and relationships.

Clara and Ismael have been blissfully dating for four years. But their relationship starts to fall apart once Clara discovers she's pregnant. It's not because the pair aren't happy to welcome a child in their life. It's that they finally tell their parents about their relationship. Clara's Jewish parents (Jean-Pierre Cassel and Martine Chevallier) don't take the news particularly well, which leads Ismael to become too frightened to even tell his Muslim mother (Naima Elmcherqui).

Dad Victor meets Ismael first. "What's he like?" his wife asks. "Arab," is all he can say.

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