History of Israeli Cinema, A

About The Film

Required viewing for any fan of Israeli film or those seeking an introduction, this two-part retrospective of a largely unexamined national cinema is both sprawling and absorbing. Award-winning filmmaker Raphaël Nadjari assembles extraordinary clips from more than 60 years of famous Israeli films to give audiences a kaleidoscopic history of Israeli cinema, and by extension a history of the Jewish state. Part One spans 1933 to 1978, covering the early Zionist films that celebrated the struggle for nationhood. Part Two is devoted to 1978 to 2005, as filmmakers embrace the political and emotional reality of a country torn by ethnic and religious conflict. A HISTORY OF ISRAELI CINEMA includes interviews with noted film critics, actors and directors, such as Amos Gitai, Joseph Cedar, Menachem Golan and Ronit Elkabetz, who talk about the role of cinema in a nation whose story is still being written.

This film includes a 10-minute intermission.