“Shows, film and rock’n’roll” – this is the tagline on the Facebook page of Kolnoa Smadar, an unusual and wonderful project that combines film screenings and live music in a kind of traveling theater/cinema event.
The formula for Kolnoa Smadar’s “Rooftop Night” is simple: a screening of a short film + a live music show by Israeli musicians + drinks and snacks. This all takes place in the rooftop apartment of one of the organizers, located on Simtat Hamesila Bet in Tel Aviv, near the Hagana train station and Central Station.
The project is the innovation of Marina, Yair and Hagai, a group of friends who volunteer their time, effort and apartment space to organize and host Rooftop Nights. They organize the events for fun and good entertainment, but their purpose goes deeper than that. As architects, they take an interest in urban spaces; ultimately, they hope to host the events not at the apartment but in abandoned buildings, taking advantage of unused space and breathing new life into Tel Aviv’s past.
At Rooftop Night #2, which took place on Thursday, a large group of people gathered on sofas and rugs to watch Adam Bizanski’s touching, beautifully-made short film, Paul. The eponymous Paul is heartbroken when his goldfish is stolen shortly after his relationship with his girlfriend ends, and he embarks on a quest around the city to get his pet back. The film won the Silver Hugo Award for Best Narrative Short.
After the film screening, two soloists performed original music. Kama Vardi is a singer-songwriter who creates truly unique music. Her first album, called simply Kama, will be released soon, not on a CD but on a memory stick housed in a matchbox. At the Rooftop Night, Kama’s performance was mesmerizing. She sang a number of songs, all in English and most of which will be included on her upcoming album.
Tamar Capsouto, the second performer of the evening, sang original songs and encouraged the audience to participate, even helping one aspiring singer make her debut. Her songs deal not only with personal experiences and emotions, but also with life in Israel. Tamar’s two albums are called No and Why No, and she blogs here (in English and in Hebrew).
The weather was just cool enough for an outdoor event, and the hosts had homemade mulled wine ready for anyone who was too cold. Drinks were served alongside chickpea snacks, all at very reasonable prices. The atmosphere at the event was relaxed and welcoming. Kolnoa Smadar provides an opportunity to enjoy good cinema and good music, and to support Israel’s amazing creative spirit. It’s a place for collaboration among artists and a stage for newcomers to gain recognition.
Kolnoa Smadar is still a work in progress. The next event hasn’t been set yet, but it will certainly be as enjoyable as the first two. At Rooftop Night #1, Kolnoa Smadar screened Uri Zohar’s 1964 short film Hole in the Moon. The singers were Noam Akotonas and Galit Vashdi, who performed solos and duets.
Check out Kolnoa Smadar’s Facebook page for more information and updates about the next event.
