Starting in February, cinematheque audiences will enjoy a tasty bite of local produce before the main course, with screenings of Israeli short films before the feature. Etgar Keret & Shira Gefen, Sharon Maymon, Guy Nativ & Erez Tadmor, Adam Sanderson, and Yehezkel Lazarov are among the directors whose films will be shown.
Initiated by GREENproductions, and launched in collaboration with the cinematheques, “Mana Rishona” (Hebrew: first course) provides a platform for short films, a format that rarely receives exposure beyond film festivals. The project will include 30 short films, each approximately 10 minutes long, which will be shown over the course of the coming year.
Alon Garbuz, Director of the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, said, “We connected to this project to present the Israeli audience with an opportunity to view this unique format and provide Israeli films and filmmakers with a quality platform for screenings.”
GREENproductions owners Gal Greenspan and Roy Kurland said, “The short, dynamic formats found in new media today dictate new directions in cinema, theatres and on the small screen. Today’s audience knows how to appreciate short forms and that is why we decided on a fascinating selection of quality shorts to screen as a ‘first course’ (Mana Rishona).”
Among the films to be shown:
To Kill a Bumblebee (7 min) by Tal Granit & Sharon Maymon
Canaan kills a bee. It is not the last thing he will kill today. How far would you go to defend the world you build for yourself? A tragicomic relfection about life, friendship and the power of fear. Actors: Rami Hoyberger, Dvir Bendak.
What About Me? (4 min) by Etgar Keret and Shira Gefen
A man in suit with a donkey comes to a checkpoint in the middle of nowhere, where a short stressed solider and a scrawny, neglected dog, are sharing canned meat. He wants to cross, but when he shows his yellow ID, one of the officers tells him that on that day only people with purple IDs can pass. He is about to give up when his donkey insists he wants to go through. After a series of strange encounters the solider and the man in the suit will find themselves closer than they’ve expected, sharing the same fate. Actors: Or Meir, Makhram Khoury, Tzahi Grad.
Offside (5 min) by Guy Nattiv & Erez Tadmor
One fence, four fans, and the game of their lives. This is a story about 4 men and a radio. Offside is the second short film in the trilogy by Tadmor & Nattiv regarding the Middle East conflict. Actors: Iron Levo, Ido Museri, Sliman Dirar, Joad Abed El Gani.
The Amazing Charleroux (7 min) by Ido Fluk
A magician and his assistant have found the perfect way to perform the ‘Sawing a Woman in Half’ trick by actually splitting a person in half. Actors: Dan Warren, Ellen Clifford.
Lashabiya (7 min) by Yehezkel Lazarov
Gabi and Einat stand before the Israeli flag in the school yard, waiting for the Memorial Day siren to sound, with it arrives a Palestinian man who plays a dangerous game with some armed Israeli soldiers. Actors: Loai Nofi.
Lost Paradise (9 min) by Michal Brezis & Oded Bin Nun
A man and a woman are tenderly making love in a one star hotel room. A moment later when they are both dressed, the idyll that seemed authentic is now gone. A present-day Adam and Eve story. Actors: Moris Cohen, Rotem Zisman-Cohen.
Mei Menuhot (Calm Waters 8 min) by Adam Sanderson
Lovers tanning on a deserted beach encounter an unexpected guest who blocks the sun…Actors: Hili Yalon, Adam Sanderson, Yoav Yefet.
