Una visión Diferente de Israel traída a México

As the two films selected for the Cinefondation prove, this surge of new talents in Israeli cinema might find its roots in the quality of the educational institutions. The Sam Spiegel Film & Television School in Jerusalem, established in 1989 as the first Israeli school dedicated specifically to filmmaking, has the best track record in awards at festivals among all film schools in the country. Dana Shahar, director of International Relations, told us the school selects 25 new students every year and pursues a story-centred approach to filmmaking. The main goal is to adopt short films as a legitimate film genre. Renen Schorr, director of the Sam Spiegel School, insisted during a speech in New York that they are supporting films not only relevant for the filmmaker, but for the audience as well. The school’s teachers are local film industry professionals, including Eran Kolirin, director of the local blockbuster The Band’s Visit which also won three awards at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

The other most respected film institution in Israel is at the Tel Aviv University. Ma’ayan Rapp, the director of Martha Must Fly, thinks that the main difference between Tel Aviv University and the Sam Spiegel School is that the former is more like a regular university, with many more students and a stronger focus on theoretical studies. She believes it is easier to make films at the Sam Spiegel School – the proof is that, in order to make Martha Must Fly, she actually relied on her own family’s money. Ma’ayan Rapp and Elad Keidan agree that it takes a lot of time and patience to receive support from funds in Israel.

Asked about the most common subjects in Israeli movies, Elad replied that the many conflicting points of view come from the complicated relationships between the national (Israeli), the ethnic (Jewish) and the political history of the country. Israel’s very special situation shows in the country’s cinematic output, and that is why Israeli movies struggle to develop a more universal meaning. The director hopes that the Israel-Palestine conflict will be solved through an agreement on their common historic ground.

Like the State itself, Israeli cinema is looking for possible ways to solve arising problems, but eventually politics and art seem to find completely opposite answers. As Eran Riklis’ Lemon Tree shows, the very same lot of land could be viewed as a terrorists’ hideout, or as a stronghold of ancestral traditions, according to the different points of view. Despite the obviously different interests, Israeli movies are not trying to use anyone as a scapegoat. Omri Givon’s Seven Minutes in Heaven is about the sensitive topic of terrorist bombings – yet the movie never tries to blame anyone, as its aim is clearly to find the way to a reasonable life after surviving a suicide bombing. Ajami (Cannes 2009) takes another step forward on the long path of mutual understanding, as it portrays a multiethnic district of Tel Aviv, where Palestinians, Jews and Christians are living together.

Anti-military movies are quite common as well, even though the State’s well-organized army is often said to be the key of Israel’s survival in the region. Yaniv Berman’s The Alpha Diaries never fails to reveal the fears and vulnerability of a living and breathing people beneath the bulletproof military uniforms. Waltz with Bashir (Cannes 2008), probably one of the most important documentaries of our times, presents its content through animation, in order to find new ways of dealing with well-known topics. Israeli cinema admittedly encapsulates what national cinema is all about. A new generation has already emerged, thanks to the ever-growing number of awards received at film festivals. We now could only hope that in the near future these filmmakers will rise even higher, and find reasons to even include happy endings in their films. Maybe it will start with another victory, perhaps this year in Cannes.

by Levente Czehelszki (Hungary)