Cinema of IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
(
Kolnoa Yisraeli,
Lit.Literal translation, also known as direct translation, is the rendering of text from one language to another "word-for-word" rather than conveying the sense of the original. Literal translations thus commonly mis-translate idioms...
Israeli Cinema) has been in existence since the
1950sThe 1950s was the decade that ran from January 1, 1950, to December 31, 1959. During the early 1950s in the United States manufacturing and home construction was on the rise as the American economy was on the upswing. The Korean War and the beginning of the Cold War created a politically...
. The Israeli films often reflect typical Israeli themes and social developments. The majority of the films are produced in the
Hebrew languageHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Culturally, it is considered a Jewish language. Hebrew in its modern form is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel while Classical Hebrew has been used for prayer or study in Jewish communities around the world for over...
, with many others in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
, other European languages, and
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
. Israel has been nominated for more
Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language FilmThe Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
(8) than any other country in the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Israeli cinema has been developing since the early 1950s until the present, even though Jews had been producing many movies in the
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
for decades prior to the establishment of the state of Israel. The film industry generated hundreds of films through the years in various styles and genres, including drama films, comedies,
documentariesDocumentary film is a broad category of visual expressions that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and digital productions that can...
and short films which have gained recognition and respect worldwide. The industry has known ups and downs, but for many years, and especially nowadays, the Israeli cinema has been capable of getting hundreds of thousands of viewers to the cinemas and to represent Israel with much dignity in film contests and film festivals worldwide.
Prior to the establishment of the state
Film Industry in
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
during the British Mandate of Palestine and afterwards during the first years of the state, didn't actually exist. Movies were filmed in Palestine since the time of the beginning of the
silent filmA silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially spoken dialogue. The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as film itself, but because of the technical challenges involved, synchronized dialogue was only made practical in the late 1920s with...
era during the
19th centuryThe 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Ottoman, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
, but an actual movie industry was not really conceived, both in the period of the
YishuvYishuv or Ha-Yishuv Yishuv or Ha-Yishuv Yishuv or Ha-Yishuv (the Yishuv, , or the full term הישוב היהודי בארץ ישראל Hayishuv Hayehudi b'Eretz Yisrael ("The Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel") is the term used in Hebrew referring to the...
, and also during the first years of the state. The films which were produced were rare, and usually didn't match the quality of the films which were imported from abroad. Initially the industry, focused particularly on producing propaganda films and news broadcasts which were shown in the Israeli cinemas during that time before the movies were shown.
The 1950s
During the 1950s some development was made. Israeli cinema studios were established such as "Geva movies" (סרטי גבע) and the "Israel's filming studios" (אולפני ההסרטה בישראל) in
HerzliyaHerzliya is a city of 84,200 residents located on the central coast of Israel. It is part of the Tel Aviv District. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
, and several films which contained plot were created. In 1954 the law to encourage the production of Israeli film (החוק לעידוד הסרט הישראלי) was passed, and in 1955 the most important Israeli film which was filmed until then was produced - "
Hill 24 Doesn't AnswerHill 24 Doesn't Answer is a 1955 Israeli war film directed by Thorold Dickinson. It was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Edward Mulhare - James Finnegan* Michael Wager - Allan Goodman* Margalit Oved - Esther Hadassi...
" (גבעה 24 אינה עונה). In the late 1950s the Israeli film industry was still in its early stages and hadn't managed to create for itself unique charicarictics, its own language, or even a real industry. The films were mostly patriotic in nature. The films were not simply "action" or "crime" films, they could be those things but with a very Israeli perspective and touch.
The 1960s
Israeli cinema gained more popularity with the decision to grant tax refunds on the purchase of theater tickets, which initiated the production of Israeli films by commercial companies, expecting a reasonable return on their investment and gain in profits.
Menahem GolanMenahem Golan is an Israeli director and producer. He was co-owner of Golan-Globus with his cousin Yoram Globus.-Biography:Menahem Golan was born on May 31, 1929, in Tiberias, then Mandate Palestine. He studied directing at the Old Vic School and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art,...
,
Ephraim Kishon' was an Israeli writer, satirist, dramatist, screenwriter, and film director.- Biography :Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, as Ferenc Hoffmann , Kishon studied sculpture and painting, and then began publishing humorous essays and writing for the stage.During World War...
, and
Uri ZoharUri Zohar is an Israeli film director, actor, and comedian who left the entertainment world to become a rabbi. -Biography:Uri Zohar was born in Tel Aviv in 1934. In 1952, he graduated high school and did his military service in an army entertainment troupe. His first marriage ended in divorce. By...
were the most prominent and active Israeli movie makers during the 1960s.
The Israeli films during the 1960s dealt with the misunderstanding between the Jews that came from the Middle East, and the Jews that came from Europe, such as
Fortuna (פורטונה) which was directed by Menahem Golan didn't fully utilize the conflict yet and still continued having plot lines and characters which originated in the fifties. The films from the fifties evolved into the "main genre" films - popular and commercial films which were compatible with the ideological optimism and happiness to finally have a country that these times are mostly remembered for - At the same time, two different genres evolved, which had different artistic and ideological styles. The first Bourekas film was
Sallah ShabatiSallah Shabati is a 1964 Israeli comedy film about the chaos of Israeli immigration and resettlement. This social satire placed the director Ephraim Kishon and producer Menahem Golan among the first Israeli filmmakers to achieve international success...
which was produced by
Ephraim Kishon' was an Israeli writer, satirist, dramatist, screenwriter, and film director.- Biography :Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, as Ferenc Hoffmann , Kishon studied sculpture and painting, and then began publishing humorous essays and writing for the stage.During World War...
in 1964. Correspondingly, in 1965 Uri Zohar produced the film
Hole in the Moon which was the first in the "New sensitivity" film movement which sought to bring the Israeli film features which were taken from the highest quality European cinema, particularly the
French New WaveThe New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema...
films. These two genres fully evolved during the seventies.
The 1970s
During the seventies a lot of films from the Bourekas genre were produced in Israel. These films were big successes in the box office but had a harsh critical reception. They were usually demotic comedy films (such as
Charlie Ve'hetziCharlie Ve'hetzi is a 1974 Israeli comedy and cult movie. The movie was directed byBoaz Davidson and stars Israeli comedians Yehuda Barkan and Ze'ev Revach.- Cast :...
and
Hagiga B'SnukerHagiga BaSnuker is a 1975 Israeli cult movie. The movie was directed by Boaz Davidson and stars Israeli comedians Ze'ev Revakh, Yehuda Barkan and Yosef Shiloakh.- Cast :...
) or sentimental
melodramaThe theatrical genre of melodrama uses theme-music to manipulate the spectator's emotional response and to denote character types. The term combines "melody" and "drama" . While the use of music is nearly ubiquitous in modern film, in most cases it is used within a fairly rigid structure...
s (such as
Nurit). The main subject in most of the Bourekas films was the conflict between various classess and denominations, particularly due to romantic intentions. Prominent filmmakers in this genre during this period include
Boaz DavidsonBoaz Davidson is an Israeli film director, producer and screenwriter. He was born in Tel Aviv, British Mandate of Palestine and studied film in London....
, Ze'ev Revach, Yehuda Barkan and George Obadiah.
Besides the Bourekas films, during the 1970s there were also many unique quality films which were created, among them the "New sensitivity" (הרגישות החדשה) movement which produced social artistic films. One of the most prominent films of this genre is
But Where Is Daniel Wax? by Avraham Heffner. Three high-quality films which were created in seventies -
The Policeman AzoulayThe Policeman is the international release title of a 1971 Israeli feature movie, written and directed by satirist Ephraim Kishon. Its Hebrew title is HaShoter Azoulay...
(
Ephraim Kishon' was an Israeli writer, satirist, dramatist, screenwriter, and film director.- Biography :Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, as Ferenc Hoffmann , Kishon studied sculpture and painting, and then began publishing humorous essays and writing for the stage.During World War...
),
I Love You RosaI Love You Rosa is a 1972 Israeli film directed by Moshé Mizrahi. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film...
and
The House on Chelouche StreetThe House on Chelouche Street is a 1973 film by veteran Israeli director Moshe Mizrahi, filmed in Hebrew and Judeo-Spanish . The film was nominated for the USA Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category....
by
Moshé MizrahiMoshé Mizrahi is an Israeli film director.He has directed 14 films in both Israel and France. Three of his films were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, I Love You Rosa, The House on Chelouche Street and Madame Rosa, with the latter winning the award...
were candidates for a Oscar Award in the foreign film category.
The 1980s
During the eighties the amount of audience going to see Israeli films significantly decreased. In addition to that, the government budget which was given to the film industry was very small - which made it very difficult to produce new quality films.
Among the most prominent films of this period:
Beyond the WallsBeyond the Walls is a 1984 Israeli film directed by Uri Barbash. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.-Plot:...
(
Uri BarbashUri Barbash is an Israeli film director. His film Beyond the Walls was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film...
),
Summer of AviyaSummer of Aviya is an Israeli film based on the bestselling autobiographical novel by film and theater actress Gila Almagor. It was released in 1988 and is 96 minutes long. The film acts as a memoir about Almagor's life and provides insights into Israeli society of the early pre-state period.-...
(
Gila AlmagorGila Almagor is an Israeli actress, film star and author.-Biography:Gila Almagor was born four months after the death of her father, Max Alexandrowitz, a Jewish immigrant from Germany who was killed by an Arab sniper while working as a policeman in Haifa. Almagor grew up caring for her mother,...
),
Avanti Popolo (Rafi Bukai),
Late Summer BluesLate Summer Blues is a 1987 Israeli film directed by Renen Schorr. It is a story about a group of Israeli teens in their last summer before army service. They all experience different conflicts about joining the army. One of them cannot join the army because he is diabetic. One of them does not...
(
Renen SchorrRenen Schorr . Film director, screenwriter, film producer.Son of a physician, Prof. Sam Schorr, grandson of historian Dr. Alexander Schorr, descendent of Rabbi Joseph Bechor Schorr, a 12th century Talmudic commentator from Orleans,France...
),
Noa Bat 17 (Yitzhak Yeshurun),
Hamsin (Danny Waxman),
Shtei Etzbaot Mi'Tzidon (
Eli CohenEli Cohen is an Israeli actor and film director. His film Under the Domim Tree was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.-Selected filmography:* Jesus * The Quarrel...
) and
Burning Land (
Serge AnkriSerge Ankri was born in 1949 in Tunis, lived and studied in France, starts and received Bachelor of Arts degree in Nice. He immigrated to Israel in 1973. He is graduate of the Film & Televsision Department, Tel Aviv University...
).
The 1990s
During the nineties there was a certain improvement in the amount of audience going to films, especially to a number of prominent cinematic successes, while the rest of the films failed at the box office. These films drew away from both politics and from the Bourekas films and primarily focused on the personal aspect of Israeli society. In addition to that there was an emergence of films about anti-heroes at the margins of society. A good example for this is the film
Amazing Grace of Amos Gutman which dealt with
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....
patients.
Among the most prominent films of this period:
Life According to Agfa (Asi Dayan),
Over the Ocean (Yaacov Goldwasser),
ZoharThe Zohar is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, or . It is a mystical commentary on the Torah , written in medieval Aramaic...
(
Eran RiklisEran Riklis is an Israeli filmmaker. He was born in 1954 and he studied at Beaconsfield National Film School in England. He is married to Dina Riklis and they have two sons, Tammy and Jonathan. The family lives in Tel Aviv....
),
Song of the Siren (
Eytan FoxEytan Fox is an Israeli film director.-Biography:Fox was born in New York City and moved with his family to Israel when he was two...
),
Lovesick on Nana Street (Savi Gavison),
Leylasede (Shemi Zarhin),
Afula Express (Julie Shles),
Yana's FriendsYana's Friends , directed by Arik Kaplun, is an Israeli movie awarded the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1999....
(Arik Kaplun) and
Strangers in the Night (
Serge AnkriSerge Ankri was born in 1949 in Tunis, lived and studied in France, starts and received Bachelor of Arts degree in Nice. He immigrated to Israel in 1973. He is graduate of the Film & Televsision Department, Tel Aviv University...
).
The 2000s
The first decade of the 21st century has brought a prosperous era to Israeli cinema, both for drama and documentary. The Israeli cinama audience grew, critics praised more films, and several Israeli films gained respect and won awards in film festivals around the world. This success could be ascribed to the significant improvement in the quality of the films, a decrease in overtly politcal emphasis, and to an increased funding from both the state and television industry. The Israeli commercial TV channels (
Channel 2Channel 2 is an Israeli commercial television channel that started broadcasting in November 4, 1993 under the Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority. It has two current concessionaires: Keshet and Reshet, who divide the week schedule between them...
,
Cable televisionHOT Telecommunication Systems Ltd. is a company that provides cable television, Internet, broadband and telecommunication services in Israel. It also provides various data transmission services and network services at different rates, services to the business sector and other ancillary services...
and Satellite television) were contractually obliged to fund cinematic film productions in exchange for their future broadcasting rights. Furthermore, royalties which the television companies once paid to the government now go to the Israeli cinema industry.
Among the most prominent films of this period:
Late Marriage (Dover Koshashvili),
Broken WingsBroken Wings is a 2002 Israeli film directed by Nir Bergman and starring Orly Silbersatz Banai, Maya Maron, and Nitai Gaviratz.-Outline :The unexpected death of the family patriarch throws every member of the Ullmann clan off course...
(Nir Bergman),
Walk on WaterWalk on Water is an Israeli film released in 2004. It stars Lior Ashkenazi, Knut Berger, and Caroline Peters. It was directed by New York-born Israeli director Eytan Fox. The screenplay was written by Gal Uchovsky...
and
Yossi & JaggerYossi & Jagger is a 2002 Israeli romantic drama film directed by Eytan Fox about soldiers at the Israel – Lebanon border who try to find some peace and solace from the daily routine of war.-Plot:...
(
Eytan FoxEytan Fox is an Israeli film director.-Biography:Fox was born in New York City and moved with his family to Israel when he was two...
),
Nina's TragediesNina’s Tragedies is a 2003 Israeli dramedy film directed by Savi Gavison and starring Ayelet Zurer, Yoram Hattab, Alon Abutbul, Shmil Ben Ari, and Anat Waxman. It won 11 Ophir Awards.-Plot Summary:...
(Savi Gavison),
CampfireMedurat Hashevet is an Israeli movie released in 2004, written and Directed by Joseph Ceder.- Plot :The story of a young widow , mother of two beautiful teenage daughters, who wants to join the founding group of a new religious settlement in the West Bank, but first must convince the acceptance...
and
BeaufortBeaufort is a 2007 Academy Award-nominated Israeli war film. The film was directed by Joseph Cedar and was co-written by Cedar and Ron Leshem, based on Leshem's novel of the same name...
(
Joseph CedarYossi Cedar is an Israeli film director and screenwriter. He has won a Silver Bear and an Ophir Award for Best Director, and an Ophir Award for writing a Best Screenplay.-Biography:...
),
Or (My Treasure)Or is a 2004 Israeli film starring Dana Ivgy in the title role of Or, a teenager who struggles to be responsible for her prostitute mother Ruthie, played by Ronit Elkabetz...
(Keren Yedaya),
Turn Left at the End of the World (Avi Nesher),
The Band's VisitThe Band's Visit is an acclaimed 2007 Israeli film directed by Eran Kolirin.The Band's Visit was Israel's original Foreign Language Film submission for the 80th Academy Awards, but was rejected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences because it contained over 50% English dialogue...
(
Eran KolirinEran Kolirin is an Israeli screenwriter and film director. His directorial debut and as of 2008 his only feature-length film is The Band's Visit . The film was a critical success, winning eight Awards of the Israeli Film Academy and prizes at several international film festivals. Kolirin himself...
) and
Waltz With BashirWaltz with Bashir is a 2008 Israeli animated documentary film written and directed by Ari Folman. It depicts Folman in search of his lost memories from the 1982 Lebanon War....
(
Ari FolmanAri Folman is an Israeli film director, screenwriter and film score composer.He witnessed the aftermath of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre as a 19 year old Israeli soldier. This would serve as the basis of Waltz with Bashir...
).
Bourekas films
"Bourekas film" (סרטי בורקס), is a
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
genreA genre is a loose set of criteria for a category of composition; the term is often used to categorize literature and speech, but is also used for any other form of art or utterance...
that was popular in Israeli cinema during the 1960s and 1970s. The central theme was the conflict between the cultures of Israeli ethnicities, especially between the
Mizrahi JewsMizrahi Jews or Mizrahim, , also referred to as Edot HaMizrach are Jews descended from the Jewish communities of the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus. The term Mizrahi is used in Israel in the language of politics, media and some social scientists for Jews from the Arab world and...
and the
Ashkenazi JewsAshkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities of the Rhineland valley and northern France...
. The hero was usually a Mizrahi Jew, almost always poor, canny and with street smarts, who comes into conflict with the institutions of the state or figures of Ashkenazi origin - mostly portrayed as rich, conceited, arrogant, cold-hearted and
alienatedIn sociology and critical social theory, alienation refers to an individual's estrangement from traditional community and others in general. It is considered by many that the atomism of modern society means that individuals have shallower relations with other people than they would normally...
.
The term was supposedly coined by the Israeli
film directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
Boaz DavidsonBoaz Davidson is an Israeli film director, producer and screenwriter. He was born in Tel Aviv, British Mandate of Palestine and studied film in London....
, the creator of several such films, as a play-on-words, after "
Spaghetti WesternSpaghetti Western, also known in some countries in mainland Europe as the Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most were produced and directed by Italians, usually in co-production with a Spanish partner.The typical team...
:" just as the Western sub-genre was named after a notable dish of its country of filming, so the Israeli genre was named after the notable
Israeli dishIsraeli cuisine is a diverse cuisine consisting of local dishes and dishes brought to Israel by Jewish immigrants from around the world...
, Bourekas.
Bourekas films may be further characterized by a number of points: accent imitations (particularly of Jewish people originating from
MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
, Persia, and
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
); a combination of
melodramaThe theatrical genre of melodrama uses theme-music to manipulate the spectator's emotional response and to denote character types. The term combines "melody" and "drama" . While the use of music is nearly ubiquitous in modern film, in most cases it is used within a fairly rigid structure...
and
comedyComedy as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse generally intended to amuse, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in Ancient Greece...
, even
slapstickSlapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated physical violence or activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense and sometimes includes ironic situations, such as a character being hit in the face with a heavy frying pan or running into a brick wall, or going mad while searching for...
; and alternate identities.
New sensitivity films
The "New sensitivity films" (סרטי הרגישות החדשה) is an Israeli cinema movement which started during the 1960s and lasted until the end of the 1970s. The movement sought to create a cinema in modernist cinema with artistic and esthetic values, in the style of the
new wave filmsThe New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema...
of the French cinema.
Mockumentary
Mockumentary has become common in Israeli cinema due to the high political consciousness in Israel. The genre is usually more common in Israeli television than the Israeli cinema, because it usually deals with current matters.
Docudrama
Different events occur in Israel which are perceived in the eyes of its residents and many people abroad as events of historical importance. It is relatively easy to shoot movies about these events, because there is a lot of written material about them in Hebrew which could be used as a basis for a script, and because it is relatively easy to cast an Israeli crew which would have a lot of knowledge about these historical events from personal experience. In a long enough historical event, like the
First Lebanon WarThe 1982 Lebanon War , , called Operation Peace for Galilee by Israel, and later also known colloquially in Israel as the First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon...
, it is possible to film Docudrama movies about the place and time in which it occurred.
Hidden camera
The Israeli film industry has produced relatively more movies in this genre than any other cinema industries, especially during the long period of time in which Israel was one of the last countries in the world which had a single TV channel.
Video Art
This is a rare genre worldwide which is slightly less rare in the Israel cinema.
Musicals
Many Israeli films include songs performed by the actors. However, very few of the films contain both singing and dancing.
Large budget films
The Israeli film industry cannot compete with big budget Hollywood productions. That is why there are almost no Israeli science fiction films, action films, fantasy films or epic films.
Military movies
Many different Israeli films such as drama, Docudrama and comedy films engage in the
IDFIDF or idf may stand for:"idf" can be:* short for "identifier"* short for "identification"-Acronyms:* Intel Developer Forum* Intermediate Data Format, a file format for transferring 3D electronics data between programs...
and in the military way of life.
Films about the lives of Holocaust survivors
Films about the lives of
Holocaust survivorsSh'erit ha-Pletah is a biblical term used by Jewish survivors of the Nazi Holocaust to refer to themselves and the communities they formed following their liberation in the spring of 1945...
, unlike films about the Holocaust itself, are very popular in Israel. Many Hebrew books have been written through the years about these two topics, and it is relatively easy to get funding to produce films about these two topics from funds such as German funds aimed at the commemoration of the Holocaust. The Holocaust has been the most traumatic part in Israeli (Or pre-Israeli) history. What Israeli actor would willingly act as a Nazi slaughtering Jews while his own father was most likely one of the few survivors from an extermination camp?
Films about the relationships between different populations
Movies about the relationship between people of different religions, nations, denominations and traditions are very popular in Israel. These films are usually a blend between comedy, drama and romance that are mostly about the cultural differences between European Jews and the Jews that came from the rest of the world.
Filming studios
- Herzliya studios (אולפני הרצליה)
- Golan Globes studios (אולפני גולן גלובוס)
- The filming unit of the IDF Spokesperson (יחידת ההסרטה של דובר צה"ל)
- Carmel film (כרמל פילם)
Significant Israeli film makers include
- Boaz Davidson
Boaz Davidson is an Israeli film director, producer and screenwriter. He was born in Tel Aviv, British Mandate of Palestine and studied film in London....
- Eytan Fox
Eytan Fox is an Israeli film director.-Biography:Fox was born in New York City and moved with his family to Israel when he was two...
- Amos Gitai
-Biography:Amos Gitai was born in 1950 in Haifa. His father, Munio Gitai, was an architect of the pre-war Bauhaus movement in Germany. Amos studied architecture in Haifa and at the University of California Berkeley. He was called up to serve in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. As part of a helicopter...
- Ephraim Kishon
' was an Israeli writer, satirist, dramatist, screenwriter, and film director.- Biography :Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, as Ferenc Hoffmann , Kishon studied sculpture and painting, and then began publishing humorous essays and writing for the stage.During World War...
- Avi Mograbi
Avi Mograbi is an Israeli documentary filmmaker. His films are often experimental in form and are highly critical of Israel's treatment of the Palestinian people....
- David Perlov
David Perlov was an Israeli filmmaker.Perlov is considered to be one of the most prominent filmmakers in Israeli cinema and perhaps the founder of the Israeli documentary cinema...
- Uri Zohar
Uri Zohar is an Israeli film director, actor, and comedian who left the entertainment world to become a rabbi. -Biography:Uri Zohar was born in Tel Aviv in 1934. In 1952, he graduated high school and did his military service in an army entertainment troupe. His first marriage ended in divorce. By...
- Tzepel Yeshurun
- Assi Dayan
Asaf "Assi" Dayan is an Israeli film director, actor, screenwriter and producer.-Biography:Assi Dayan was born in Nahalal, the son of Israeli general and politician Moshe Dayan.-Acting career:...
- Raphael Nadjari
Raphael Nadjari is a French born writer and director for film and television.In 1993, Nadjari started working for French television as a writer and director...
- Uri Barabash
- Keren Eyedaya
|
Michale Bat Adam
Moshe Mizrahi Moshé Mizrahi is an Israeli film director.He has directed 14 films in both Israel and France. Three of his films were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, I Love You Rosa, The House on Chelouche Street and Madame Rosa, with the latter winning the award...
Yoram Gaon
Pitch Chazde
Dover Koshashvili
Marek Rosenbaum
Eyal Sherai
Ronit ElkabetzRonit Elkabetz is an Israeli actress and filmmaker.-Biography:Elkabetz was born in Beersheba in 1964 to a religious Moroccan Jewish family. She grew up in Kiryat Yam. Her mother was a hairdresser and her father was a postal employee. Her mother spoke French and Arabic, but her father insisted on...
Shlomi Elkabetz
Menachem Golan
Jade Ne'eman
Moshon salmona |
Dany Waxman
Chaim Buzaglo
Eitan Green
Rafi Bokai
Avi Nesher
Savi Gabizon
Baruch Dienar
Ram Levi
Avraham Hefner
Ze'ev Revach
Joseph Cedar Yossi Cedar is an Israeli film director and screenwriter. He has won a Silver Bear and an Ophir Award for Best Director, and an Ophir Award for writing a Best Screenplay.-Biography:...
Ari FolmanAri Folman is an Israeli film director, screenwriter and film score composer.He witnessed the aftermath of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre as a 19 year old Israeli soldier. This would serve as the basis of Waltz with Bashir...
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Eran Korilin
Amos Kollek -Biography:Amos Kollek was born in Jerusalem. He is the son of Teddy Kollek, the long-time mayor of Jerusalem. Kollek studied psychology and philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He became interested in film after working as a writer.He produced his first film,Goodbye New York, in 1985...
Renen SchorrRenen Schorr . Film director, screenwriter, film producer.Son of a physician, Prof. Sam Schorr, grandson of historian Dr. Alexander Schorr, descendent of Rabbi Joseph Bechor Schorr, a 12th century Talmudic commentator from Orleans,France...
Eran RiklisEran Riklis is an Israeli filmmaker. He was born in 1954 and he studied at Beaconsfield National Film School in England. He is married to Dina Riklis and they have two sons, Tammy and Jonathan. The family lives in Tel Aviv....
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Significant Israeli actors and actresses include
- Gila Almagor
Gila Almagor is an Israeli actress, film star and author.-Biography:Gila Almagor was born four months after the death of her father, Max Alexandrowitz, a Jewish immigrant from Germany who was killed by an Arab sniper while working as a policeman in Haifa. Almagor grew up caring for her mother,...
- Lior Ashkenazi
Lior Ashkenazi , is an award-winning Israeli screen and stage actor.-Biography:Lior Ashkenazi was born to Jewish immigrants from Turkey who moved to Israel in 1964. He grew up in the Neveh Yehoshua neighborhood in Ramat Gan. His father, Shmuel, worked as a printer. His mother, Victoria, was a...
- Mili Avital
Mili Avital is an Israeli actress. Avital built a successful stage and film career in Israel, winning the Israeli Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1992 and nominated for Best Actress in 1994.-Personal life:...
- Aki Avni
Aki Avni is an Israeli actor, entertainer and a television host. He appeared in the movie Free Zone with Natalie Portman. He also played the character Mohsen in the second season of the television series 24....
- Yehuda Barkan
- Moshe Ivgi
- Shaike Ofir
Shaike Ophir was an Israeli film actor, mime and comedian, considered one of the most important entertainers in Israel from the fifties up to the eighties....
- Ze'ev Revach
- Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol , often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer.-Early life:Topol was born in Tel Aviv, in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine, to Rel and Jacob Topol. He first practiced acting in amateur theatrical plays staged by the Israeli Army...
- Tuvya Tzafir
- Uri Zohar
Uri Zohar is an Israeli film director, actor, and comedian who left the entertainment world to become a rabbi. -Biography:Uri Zohar was born in Tel Aviv in 1934. In 1952, he graduated high school and did his military service in an army entertainment troupe. His first marriage ended in divorce. By...
- Ayelet Zorer
- Alon Abutbul
- Assi Dayan
Asaf "Assi" Dayan is an Israeli film director, actor, screenwriter and producer.-Biography:Assi Dayan was born in Nahalal, the son of Israeli general and politician Moshe Dayan.-Acting career:...
Notable Israeli films
- Alex Holeh Ahavah
Alex Holeh Ahavah is an Israeli cult film directed by Boaz Davidson which was released in .-Plot:The film is a romantic comedy which takes place in Israel during the Austerity period of the 1950s. The main hero is Alex, a 13 year old boy who is about to attend his Bar Mitzvah.Alex has a typical...
- Alila
Alila is a 2003 Israeli film directed by Amos Gitai and starring Yaël Abecassis, Uri Klauzner, and Hanna Laslo. The drama follows half a dozen very different characters through their lives in modern day Israel, giving Gitai an opportunity to comment on his country's top social issues.The film was...
- Avanim
Avanim is Raphael Nadjari's fourth feature film. It was shot in and around Tel Aviv in 2003, in HDCam. The film was presented in the Berlin Film Festival as a Panorama: Special presentation in 2004.- Awards and nominations :...
- Beaufort
Beaufort is a 2007 Academy Award-nominated Israeli war film. The film was directed by Joseph Cedar and was co-written by Cedar and Ron Leshem, based on Leshem's novel of the same name...
- Beyond the Walls
Beyond the Walls is a 1984 Israeli film directed by Uri Barbash. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.-Plot:...
- Blaumilch Canal
Blaumilch Canal is a 1969 Israeli comedy directed by Ephraim Kishon, which depicts the madness of bureaucracy through a municipality’s reaction to the actions of a lunatic....
- Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi
Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi is a 2003 film written and directed by Shemi Zarhin.-Main cast:*Oshri Cohen – Shlomi Bar-Dayan*Arieh Elias – Grandfather Bar-Dayan...
- Broken Wings
Broken Wings is a 2002 Israeli film directed by Nir Bergman and starring Orly Silbersatz Banai, Maya Maron, and Nitai Gaviratz.-Outline :The unexpected death of the family patriarch throws every member of the Ullmann clan off course...
- Buzz
Buzz is a 1998 Israeli film directed by Eli Cohen, based on a real murder story. It is known for being frequently used and taught in the Israeli education system, as well as the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Prison Service.-Plot:...
- Charlie Ve'hetzi
Charlie Ve'hetzi is a 1974 Israeli comedy and cult movie. The movie was directed byBoaz Davidson and stars Israeli comedians Yehuda Barkan and Ze'ev Revach.- Cast :...
- Eskimo Limon
Eskimo Limon is a 1978 Israeli cult film directed by Boaz Davidson which led to a series of sequels.- The original movie :Eskimo Limon was first released in February 11, 1978, starring Yftach Katzur , Jonathan Sagall , Zachi Noy and Anat Atzmon...
- Givat Halfon Eina Ona
Giv'at Halfon Eina Ona also credited as Halfon Hill Doesn't Answer, is a cult Israeli comedy film produced in 1976. It is a good-hearted satire movie about the Israel Defense Forces which tells the story of a reserves company, watching the Egyptian border in Sinai. Characters such as the conman...
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Hagiga B'Snuker Hagiga BaSnuker is a 1975 Israeli cult movie. The movie was directed by Boaz Davidson and stars Israeli comedians Ze'ev Revakh, Yehuda Barkan and Yosef Shiloakh.- Cast :...
The House on Chelouche StreetThe House on Chelouche Street is a 1973 film by veteran Israeli director Moshe Mizrahi, filmed in Hebrew and Judeo-Spanish . The film was nominated for the USA Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category....
James' Journey to JerusalemJames' Journey to Jerusalem is a 2003 Israeli film directed by Ra'anan Alexandrowicz. -Cast:*James / Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe*Salah / Arie Elias*Shimi / Salim Daw*Rachel / Sandra Schonwald*Re'uma / Florence Bloch-References:...
JellyfishJellyfish is a 2007 Israeli film based on a story by Shira Geffen and directed by her and her husband, Etgar Keret. The film tells the story of three women in Tel Aviv whose intersecting lives paint a portrait of Israeli life. Batya, a waitress at weddings, comes across a mute child who seemingly...
KadoshKadosh is a 1999 film by Israeli director Amos Gitai. It was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:Kadosh is a bleak drama about the plight of women in Haredi society. In the opening scene, Meir , a young Talmudic scholar, thanks God in his morning prayers for not being born a woman...
Kedma
Kikar Hachalamot
KippurKippur is a 2000 Israeli film directed by Amos Gitai and starring Liron Levo, Tomer Russo, and Uri Klauzner. It was entered into the 2000 Cannes Film Festival....
Late Marriage
Late Summer BluesLate Summer Blues is a 1987 Israeli film directed by Renen Schorr. It is a story about a group of Israeli teens in their last summer before army service. They all experience different conflicts about joining the army. One of them cannot join the army because he is diabetic. One of them does not...
Live and Become
MatzorMatzor is an Israeli film directed by Italian director Gilberto Tofano in 1969. It involves the theme of a widdowed mother , her lover and ex-husband friend...
Metallic BluesMetallic Blues is a 2004 film co-production directed by Israeli director Danny Verete.-Storyline and characters:...
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Metzitzim Metzitzim is an Israeli comedy 1972 film, that has become a cult film.The film was directed By Uri Zohar. Arik Einstein and Zohar himself are the stars of the film. The cinematographer was Adam Greenberg....
Mivtza SavtaMivtza Savta is an Israeli cult film directed by Dror Shaul and released in 1999.The film is a satirical comedy about the Israeli military and kibbutz life. The story revolves around three brothers: Alon , a no-nonsense Israeli Army officer, Benny , a brilliant electrician, and Idan , a wimpy...
Nina's TragediesNina’s Tragedies is a 2003 Israeli dramedy film directed by Savi Gavison and starring Ayelet Zurer, Yoram Hattab, Alon Abutbul, Shmil Ben Ari, and Anat Waxman. It won 11 Ophir Awards.-Plot Summary:...
Or (My Treasure)Or is a 2004 Israeli film starring Dana Ivgy in the title role of Or, a teenager who struggles to be responsible for her prostitute mother Ruthie, played by Ronit Elkabetz...
Paper DollsPaper Dolls is an award-winning 2005 documentary by Israeli director Tomer Heymann, which follows the lives of transgender migrant workers from the Philippines who also perform as drag queens during their spare time...
Sallah ShabatiSallah Shabati is a 1964 Israeli comedy film about the chaos of Israeli immigration and resettlement. This social satire placed the director Ephraim Kishon and producer Menahem Golan among the first Israeli filmmakers to achieve international success...
Someone to Run With
Tehilim
The Band's VisitThe Band's Visit is an acclaimed 2007 Israeli film directed by Eran Kolirin.The Band's Visit was Israel's original Foreign Language Film submission for the 80th Academy Awards, but was rejected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences because it contained over 50% English dialogue...
The Milky WayThe Milky Way is an amusement/theme park in Devon, near Clovelly.-Space:* The Cosmic Typhoon is Devon's largest rollercoaster. It takes about 1min 20secs to go around with a top speed of . Passengers must be over 1.2 m to ride....
The Syrian BrideThe Syrian Bride is a 2004 film directed by Eran Riklis. The story deals with a Druze wedding and the troubles the politically unresolved situation creates for the personal lives of the people in and from the village...
Time of FavorTime of Favor is Israeli writer-director Joseph Cedar's 2000 debut film, starring Aki Avni. The film plays out a psychologically complex love triangle in the middle of terrorist conflict in Israel's West Bank....
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Walk on Water Walk on Water is an Israeli film released in 2004. It stars Lior Ashkenazi, Knut Berger, and Caroline Peters. It was directed by New York-born Israeli director Eytan Fox. The screenplay was written by Gal Uchovsky...
Waltz with BashirWaltz with Bashir is a 2008 Israeli animated documentary film written and directed by Ari Folman. It depicts Folman in search of his lost memories from the 1982 Lebanon War....
Yana's FriendsYana's Friends , directed by Arik Kaplun, is an Israeli movie awarded the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1999....
Yossi & JaggerYossi & Jagger is a 2002 Israeli romantic drama film directed by Eytan Fox about soldiers at the Israel – Lebanon border who try to find some peace and solace from the daily routine of war.-Plot:...
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