Screening times:
Friday, April 14, 6:45 PM - Half-capacity screening
Saturday, April 15, 6:45 PM - Half-capacity screening
Orit Fouks Rotem | Israel, Belgium | 2021 | 92m | Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles
with Dana Ivgy, Joanna Said, Amal Murkus, Ruth Landau, Yulia Tagil, Marlene Bajali, Aseel Farhat, Orit Samuel, Liora Levi
A group of Arab and Jewish women attend a video workshop at a small town community centre run by Rona (Dana Ivgy, Zero Motivation), a young filmmaker from Tel Aviv, who teaches them to document their lives. As each student shares footage from her home life with the others, their beliefs and preconceptions are challenged and barriers are broken down. The group comes together as mothers, daughters, wives, and women living in a world designed to keep them apart, forming an empowering and lasting bond as they learn more about each other and themselves.
Inspired by writer-director Orit Fouks Rotem’s own experiences as a teacher, Cinema Sabaya presents a deft and heartfelt portrait of art’s capacity to unite disparate communities, moving effortlessly between the gravity of their conversations and the genuine joy of this unlikely group of friends. Israel’s Official Submission to the 95th Academy Awards and winner of five Ophir Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress (Joanna Said).
"Had Israel’s submission to this year’s Oscars landed an international feature nomination, it might have made for a spiritual across-the-categories companion to best picture nominee ‘Women Talking’. (Instead, it lies with the ignored female-made features ‘Saint Omer’, ‘The Woman King’ and ‘She Said’.)" -Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
"Based on helmer-writer Orit Fouks Rotem’s experience as a teacher and the real women she encountered, the film is full of life, love, humor and authenticity without being didactic. At the same time, it cleverly questions the ethics and responsibility of filmmaking." -Alissa Simon, Variety
Best Film, Director, Supporting Actress, Costume Design, Casting - Ophir Awards
Camera Of David for the Best Feature Film - Warsaw Jewish Film Festival
Tickets $8.75
Half capacity
Half capacity
