SIEGAL COLLEGE’S 2ND ANNUAL FILM & CONVERSATION SERIES, REEL ISRAEL, INVADES CLEVELAND APRIL 14 – 25, 2010

A Multitude of Events, Screenings and Locations Aim to Introduce all of Cleveland to Israeli Documentary Films and Emerging Israeli Artists

March 11, 2010 (Beachwood, OH) - For twelve days this April, Siegal College will be bringing a little bit of Israeli culture to Cleveland with its Reel Israel:  Films & Conversations series, beginning April 14.  These documentaries will be screened and discussed throughout the city, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Jewish Community Center, Cleveland Hillel, Siegal College, and various synagogues, and all screenings will be free and open to the public.  In addition, there will be special screenings targeting supplementary schools, day schools and public schools.  Screenings will be followed by interactive discussions between viewers and facilitators.  A list of film titles, times and locations can be found below and online at www.reelisrael.org.

This year, for the first time, Reel Israel will feature an emerging artist by showcasing her animated shorts at various screenings throughout the series.  Israeli filmmaker, animator and illustrator, Asenath (Osi) Wald, was chosen as the 2010 Reel Israeli Artist because of her unique approach to filmmaking.  A graduate of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in 2006, she was the animator and head of 3D production in the acclaimed 2008 animated feature “Waltz with Bashir,” directed by Ari Folman, and currently works as a freelancer on international productions for various platforms. 

“Reel Israel is our chance to showcase Israeli culture and its amazing emerging film industry, and a great way to show that Israel isn’t all about falafel, camels and regional conflicts,” said Amnon Ophir, @Akiva Director and Israel educator for the JECC  “We are encouraging Jews and non-Jews to come and experience the real (reel) Israel.”

The series would not be possible without the sponsorship of other local organizations including the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, @Akiva, Write on for Israel, The Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, and the Cleveland Jewish News. 

A full list of films are below.

Purple Lawns – Wednesday, April 14, Noon, at Siegal College, Beachwood
Based on a story by Savion Liebrecht, Siegal College’s speaker for the 3rd annual Israeli cultural lecture on April 22, the rift between the secular and religious worlds, the prejudices, the mutual ignorance and the resultant mistrust and suspicion are at the heart of PURPLE LAWNS. The film tells the story of women who decide to take fate into their own hands. Initially the possibility of any connection between them seems completely impossible. Yet, as the plot develops, they undergo changes that enable them to accomplish something and prove that the sisterhood of women is strongest of all.

Lone Samaritan – Thursday, April 15, 7:00 PM, at Green Road Synagogue, University Hts.
A touching father-daughter journey that follows Sophie, the youngest daughter, on a journey to uncover her family’s secrets in an attempt to understand who the real victim of their shattered home is, and forces them to confront the difficult isolation when chosing a personal path within a tribal world.

London at Ben Yehuda – Friday, April 16, Noon, Siegal College, Beachwood
A veteran journalist and self-proclaimed “Hebrew dinosaur” Yaron London explored the modern evolution of the language.  This film does not have English subtitles.

Yes, Miss Commander! – Sunday, April 18, 1:30 PM, Cleveland Museum of Art, with panel of Israeli soldiers featured in the film
For 100 days the film crew of Yes, Miss Commander! has been following the unusual scenes in the Havat Hashomer military base in the Galilee. Soldiers there are no ordinary recruits. They come from a background of violence and abuse, crime, and drugs to a special training program designed to improve their self image and teach them discipline and military skills. Assigned to this task are young female soldiers from normative homes. With great patience, juggling between authoritative distance and emotional involvement, these young girls try to fulfill their mission.   The encounter between the two worlds and the tension between the sexes produce constant collisions, verbal clashes, and emotional outbreaks. It is impossible not to be swept away by the intensive events and attractive characters as they develop towards the finish line. In a "fly on the wall" technique with no intervention or interpretation, Yes, Miss Commander! presents a compelling drama full of laughter and tears.

Arab Labor – Monday, April 19, 7:30 PM, As part of the Yom Haatzmaut festival at B’nai Jeshurun
Arab labor deals with the Arab status In Israeli society, the controversy surrounding issues of identity and the sensitivities of both populations. The series explores the daily conflicts that Arabs face between the desire to integrate and their own values and traditions.

Sayed Kashua – Forever Scared – Tuesday, April 20, 6:30 PM, Siegal College, Beachwood
Sayed Kashua always feels he doesn't belong. The Jews don't like him because he's an Arab. The Arabs don't like him because he's successful. The Arabs think he's a collaborator. The Jews think he's a drunk. He's always viewed as an Other, and he's always scared. Sayed Kashua – Forever Scared accompanies Kashua, an Israeli-Arab author and scriptwriter, for seven years through the upheavals and events that change his life. This is an intimate yet political portrait of a writer and publicist who is also a loving husband and father of two. His family pays a heavy price for the choices he makes and the perpetual wandering from place to place, from nation to nation, belonging neither here nor there.

The Worst Company in the World – Wednesday, April 21, 6:00 PM, Cleveland Hillel *includes dinner
Love and humor are plentiful, but success is scarce in a small Tel Aviv insurance agency where nothing runs as it should. Perennially on the verge of bankruptcy, the failing agency is run by three middle-aged, divorced, and not particularly successful men. They may be highly intelligent, well-educated, warm and good -humored, but they have no inkling about running a business. This award-winning and refreshingly entertaining documentary offers an amusing behind-the-scenes look at the operations of the firm over one fiscal year, as the manager’s son – also the film’s director – joins this motley crew in a last-ditch attempt to save his father’s collapsing business.

My First War – Wednesday, April 21, 7:00 PM, Mandel Jewish Community Center, Beachwood
A filmmaker’s personal account of the Second Lebanon War, where at the age of 28, he was drafted.  This documentary recalls the lack of justice in this unnecessary war and the loss of valuable lives. This was my personal earthquake as well as the nations.

Lod Detour – Friday, April 23, Noon, Siegal College, Beachwood
''Amal 1 High School'' in Lod is the last opportunity for students who failed other educational frameworks to complete their high school education. The film follows three students’ stories through the eyes of the school’s principal Ilan Hakary.

A Musical Melave Malkah & Film Screening of The Worst Company in the World – Saturday, April 24, 8:45 pm, Siegal College, Beachwood
A unique havdallah service followed by a reprise screening of The Worst Company in the World

My Family Pizza – Sunday, April 25, 4:00 PM – The Temple Tifereth Israel, Beachwood
Maksim, a pizza wizard addicted to sleep, asks his parents to help him buy a pizza place he co-owns. As soon as he becomes the sole owner, his parents realize they will have to invest in it a whole lot more than just money. Soon enough the father becomes a delivery boy and the mother- an oven cleaner. Between taking care of the family, work, and maintenance of the pizza place, the parents ask themselves- is their role as parents a job for life? The film creates a true profile of the average Israeli family in the new millennium.


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