Omer Tobi’s film Tropicana has been selected to compete in the Proxima competition at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The Proxima competition is open to filmmakers from around the world, with a focus on bold approaches to film from emerging voices as well as established directors. This year’s festival will take place from June 28 – July 6, 2024, with 12 films participating in the Proxima competition.
Omer Tobi released a statement to the press:* “I am very excited to screen Tropicana in its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary Festival. Tropicana is the story of a personal journey that takes place in a desert town much like the one in which I grew up, that seeks to unravel the tangled bureaucracy of intimacy, the difficult journey toward a moment of human warmth, in a state of constant struggle for survival, and investigates the impact of geography on the presence of desire in our lives. I am very grateful for the creative team and ensemble of actors who devoted their many talents to the turbulent journey of making the film, and I’m excited to present our joint work to a foreign audience who will have the opportunity to view an additional and more complex aspect of the people who live in our turbulent country.”
Tropicana stars Irit Sheleg as Orly, a middle-aged cashier who lives in a remote desert town, dividing her time between her monotonous job at the supermarket, and caring for her family and demanding mother. The mysterious murder of the head cashier results in a promotion for Orly. She inherits the throne of the head cashier as well as the stormy past of the late cashier. A past that takes Orly on a dark journey of sexual discovery, that leads her into the depths of her repressed passions, exposing her desire for human warmth and intimacy.
Omer Tobi is a screenwriter, film, and television director. His short film “Set Me as a Seal Upon Thine Heart” had its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and was screened at Locarno, as well as other international festivals. His previous short film “Hounds” won several awards, including: Best Comedy at Aspen Shorts Fest, Special Jury Mention at the AFI Fest, Best Independent Short at the Haifa International Film Festival, and was screened at over 40 film festivals worldwide. In addition to his work in film Tobi has created television series (The Heiress for Keshet), he is one of the founders of the popular Arisa Gay-Mizrahi party collective, and has directed many videos for leading Israeli musicians such as Ivri Lider, Ran Dankner, Sarit Hadad and Dana International. Tropicana is Tobi’s first full length feature film.
Tropicana
Written and directed by Omer Tobi
Produced by Hilla Medalia, Gil Sima, Paul Cadieux; Editing: Guy Nemesh; Cinematography: Philippe Lavalette; Cast: Irit Sheleg, Rivka Bachar, Amir Ishar, Ilanit Ben Yaacov, Lirit Balaban, Rinat Mattatov, Regina Spector, Dover Kosashvili, Michael Levy, Uri Hochman, Dalia Beger
