Films in the Arava Desert is an international film event, under the auspices of the Haifa International Film Festival, that takes place in the unique atmosphere of the desert, under the stars, from December 6 – 8, 2012 in Tzukim. Enjoy nature by day and movies by night!
A tribute to director Sergio Leone, of spaghetti western fame, forms the core of the program, with screenings of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966), and A Fistful of Dollars (1964) featuring Clint Eastwood, and Once Upon a Time in the West (1967) starring Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, and Claudia Cardinale.
Taking a look at life closer to home, is Ami Livne’s film Sharqiya, winner of the Haggiag Award for Best Full-Length Feature Film at the Jerusalem Film Festival 2012. Sharqiya tells the story of Kamel, a security guard at the Central Bus Station in Beer Sheva, proud of his job, who lives in an unrecognized Bedouin village. One day when he returns from work he finds a demolition notice on the door. Kamel understands that the fate of the village depends on him and decides to stage a terror attack at the Central Bus Station in order to attract media attention to his plight.
Younger audiences can enjoy Igor and the Crane’s Journey, directed by Evgeny Ruman, telling the story of a boy’s immigration with his divorced mother, from Russia to Israel, and his troubled relationship with his ornithologist father. Moon Man, directed and written by Stephan Schesch, based on the book by Tomi Ungerer, takes Mr. Moon himself on a journey to earth, with a great soundtrack that includes Louis Armstrong, Iron Butterfly, Duke Ellington, Neu and Ella Fitzgerald.
The two Israeli films, Sharqiya and Igor and the Crane’s Journey, will be screened in the presence of the directors, who will meet and talk with the audience.
The Hunt, Thomas Vinterberg’s (Festen) latest film, will open the festival on Thursday, December 6th at 20:00. Starring Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) as a teacher whose life is thrown into turmoil when a rumor spreads through the town, the film returns to the controversial terrain of Festen, this time from a different perspective.
In addition to films, there will be a screen-writing workshop conducted by Uri Sivan, activities for children, and an arts event featuring Arava artists at Sapir Park.
Links: Films in the Arava Desert website, facebook page.
Films in the Arava Desert is under the artistic direction of Pnina Blayer, Artistic Director of the Haifa International Film Festival, and produced by Eyal Shiray, Producer of the Haifa International Film Festival. The festival is jointly produced by Golden Cinema Productions, the Arava Regional Council, the Haifa International Film Festival and the Merage Foundation.
