Smorgasbord of Israeli films

Ajami

THIS Oscar-nominated film opens the AICE Israeli Film Festival and is co-written and co-directed by Scandar Copti (a Palestinian) and Yaron Shani (an Israeli). The film is set in Ajami, Tel Aviv, a mixed community of Jews, Christians and Arabs. There are five vignettes in Ajami intertwined by the same tragic catalyst. The film received a special mention at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

Eyes Wide Open

EYES Wide Open sparked outrage and controversy in Israel on its release in 2009 and will likely polarise Australian audiences too. The film examines the relationship between a married man and a ¬≠homeless yeshivah student in the ultra-Orthodox Meah She’arim community in Jerusalem. The film is an Israel-French-German co-production and has received critical acclaim.

A Matter of Size

THIS charming crowd-pleaser tells the story of Herzl, an overweight man fed up with the endless cycle of diet and exercise regimes. His life is turned around when he discovers Israel’s sumo wrestling subculture. Herzl meets Japanese restaurant manager Kitano, who is on the run from the Yakuza (Japanese crime syndicate) and happens to be a sumo coach. Through the sport, Herzl and his friends learn to embrace their plus-size bodies.

A Film Unfinished

THE documentary A Film Unfinished is an important work that debunks Nazi propaganda films about the Warsaw Ghetto. Footage from the film depicting a gentrified, comfortable community at ease with its confines has been used to show what life was like in the ghetto.

But the discovery of a missing reel has revealed the brutal reality and exposed the deep deceit. Survivor testimonies and archival footage show the elaborate set-ups used to depict what life was really like as a prisoner of the Nazis. The documentary was screened at the 2010 Melbourne International Film Festival and was a winner at the Sundance Film Festival.

Charedi trilogy

ALSO screening in the documentary part of the festival, this trio of films — Gevald, The Rabbi’s Daughter and the Midwife and Religion.com — look at Charedi life in Israel. The films document the struggles of the community to find its place in an increasingly secular world and ¬≠tackle themes of integration and identity.

Walls

STARRING Quantum of Solace Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, this thriller tells the story of unlikely allies in the fight against oppression. One is an assassin being made to kill against her will and the other, a battered wife who discovers she is pregnant. Walls is part-revenge drama, part-action film and is just the second feature from Israeli director Danny Lerner.

Phobidilia

PHOBIDILIA is the story of a nameless recluse who, after a breakdown, vows never to leave his apartment. He creates a life for himself with television, internet porn and food delivered to his home. However, when his landlord informs him that his safe haven is being put on the market, the man — referred to only as “our hero” — is forced to fight for survival.

The Loners

NOMINATED for 11 Israeli Film Academy Awards in 2009, The Loners follows two Israeli soldiers who were accused of arms smuggling and thrown in jail. The men are brutalised in captivity and denied an honourable military trial. This taut thriller/drama hurtles towards a stunning conclusion as the soldiers are forced to make some tough decisions.

The AICE Film Festival is being held in Melbourne from August 17-22 and in Sydney from August 31 to September 5, with screenings at Palace cinemas. Bookings: www.palacecinemas.com.au.

ADAM KAMIEN