Docaviv Galil will take place in Maalot-Tarshiha from November 26 – 30, 2012! Now in its fourth edition, the northern festival is far more than a repeat performance of Docaviv, the international documentary film festival that takes place in Tel Aviv each spring. The Docaviv team takes the documentary perspective to the Galilee, creating a festival that relates to the local scene in collaboration with Maalot Tarshiha, a city noted for its fostering of culture and diversity.
30 documentary films will be screened at the festival, with 20 Israeli films, and five premiere screenings.
Special events at the festival include:
Israeli Prize-winning photographer Alex Levac will present two exhibitions at the Apter Barrer Art Center: “Paparazzi of the Anonymous” – an exhibition of Levac’s photographs, and “The Flight of the Spirit” – photographs made by participants in a workshop conducted by Levac at the Center for Mental Health. The film “Alex in Wonderland,” a documentary portrait of Levac directed by Uri Sivan, will be screened on the exhibition opening night.
Celebrating culinary multiculturalism will be a “Home Cooking Competition” with chefs Erez Komorovsky and Habib Daud as judges. Local residents will prepare their specialties for the judges consideration and there will be a screening of the film Oma and Bella (Germany 2012) by Alexa Karolinski. The film takes the viewer into the lives of Regina Karolinski (Oma – the director’s grandmother) and Bella Katz. The two friends survived the Holocaust and remained in Germany, living together in Berlin, they connect to one another and their past through their love of cooking and good food.
Activities for young people include a screening of First Position, directed by Bess Kargman, a fascinating look at the lives of young dancers competing in the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix. Not for ballet fans only, this suspenseful film is a lot of fun – and features the very talented young Israeli ballerina Gaia. Making the event truly special – the screening will be followed by a performance of the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company.
The Israeli premiere of Undefeated by Daniel Lindsay and T.J.Martin, the Oscar-winning documentary tracking a struggling high school football team and their dedicated coach, will be accompanied by a panel discussion on youth football (soccer) in Israel.
There will be a festive screening of an episode of the series HaHayim KeShmuah (Life as Rumour), directed by Adi Arbel and Moish Goldberg, documenting the tumultuous life of actor/director Assi Dayan.
Israeli documentaries screened at Docaviv Galil include: Home Movie by Reuven Brodsky – winner of the Israeli Film Competition at Docaviv 2012 depicting the intensity, humor and complexity of family relationships; The Gatekeepers, directed by Dror Moreh, featuring interviews with six former Shin Bet leaders discussing the work of the agency and its role in the occupied territories; Powder, directed by Ayal Goldberg – winner of the Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo Award for Debut Film a tragi-comic look at one man’s struggle with issues of family heritage, identity and the ever-present call to reserve duty in the military; Dirty Laundry, directed by Yael Sherer, documenting her own journey as she filed an unprecedented civil suit in Israel, suing damages from her father who was charged and incarcerated for sexually abusing her; and the premiere of Avida Livni’s HaAlbomim, on the Israeli rock band Mashina.
The full Docaviv Galil program is available online in Hebrew.
