Come enjoy films under the stars! Films in the Arava Desert, now in its third edition, will take place from November 26 – 29, 2014, near Zuqim, in the Ashush Natural Reserve, in the Arava region of the Southern Negev.
Films will be shown every evening on a large screen, at a specially built outdoor site. This year, for the first time, the festival will premiere international films that have not been shown in other Israeli film festivals! Keeping a close connection between films and viewers, almost all the films will be shown in the presence of the film’s director, producer, or one of the lead actors, followed by a Q & A. A single prize of 15,000 Euros will be awarded to the film chosen by viewers – so don’t forget to vote!
Festival Films:
1001 Grams – Directed by Bent Hamer will be the opening film. Scientist Marie (Ane Dahl Torp), a keeper of the national kilogram prototype, when she must take her father’s place at a kilo seminar of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) in Paris. The Norwegian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, the film will be screened courtesy of Orlando Films.
Corn Island – Directed by George Ovashvili, it paints a moving picture of an aging farmer’s struggle to grow corn one of the small islands that form in the Inguri River. On the border between Georgia and Abkhazia, the island is not the peaceful oasis one might suppose; the farmer and his granddaughter must contend with the challenges posed by man, as well as those of nature. It is an unusual film, almost without dialogue, moving in the rhythms of nature, vibrant with life, telling a tale of endurance. The film is the Georgian entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, and will be screened at the festival in the presence of the director.
Charlie’s Country – Directed by Rolf de Heer and co-written by de Heer and David Gulpilil, the film follows the struggles of Charlie (Gulpilil), an Aboriginal man who feels like an outsider in his own country. Lost between two cultures, and feeling oppressed by white culture, he goes into the bush to try to connect to Aboriginal traditions. The Australian entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, the film will be screened at the festival in the presence of the director.
Jin – Directed by Reha Erdem, the film depicts the journey of Jin (Deniz Hasguler), a Kurdish freedom fighter who decides to leave the battle, and sets off alone into the mountains. She encounters animals and the nature as she makes her way, trying to escape the soldiers and dangers. The film will be screened at the festival in the presence of the director.
Timbuktu – Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, exploring the Jihadist takeover of Northwest Africa and its impact on the people. Sissako has said that he was moved to make the film after seeing a video of an unmarried couple punished for their ‘crime’ by being buried up to their necks in sand and stoned to death. TheMauritanian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, the film will be screened at the festival in the presence of the film’s leading actor Ibrahim Ahmed.
Tigers – Directed by Danis Tanović. The Israeli premiere of the Oscar-winning (No Man’s Land) director’s new film. Based on a true story that took place in Pakistan, the film follows young salesman Ayan (Emraan Hashmi), as he comes to realize the truth about the pharmaceutical industry, and the consequences of the sale of baby formula in his country, and decides to take a stand. Tigers The film will be screened at the festival in the presence of the director.
Blind Dates – Directed by Levan Koguashvili. In this comedy, pushing 40 history teacher Sandro (Andro Sakhvarelidze) agrees to a blind date with Lali (Marika Antadze) and adventures ensue. The film will be screened at the festival in the presence of its producer, Olena Yershova.
In addition to the films participating in the competition, the festival will also screen two short films produced by the festival, and filmed in the Arava: Uri Ram’s Antelopes and Rotem Kaplinsky’s HaKav Shel Grace. Not just for children, the festival will be showing two animated films from Studio Ghibli: Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo, and The Secret World of Arietty (a version of The Borrowers) directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi.
A tribute to Asi Dayan will take place on closing night with the screening of his film The 92 Minutes of Mr. Baum (1997) in the presence of the late actor/writer/director’s family and friends. The closing film will be The Farewell Party, directed by Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon, a film that deals with the relevant and controversial issue of choosing one’s time of death. The film will be screened in the presence of the cast, whose ensemble performance gives the film depth and resonance.
The full program and maps are available on the festival website.
The festival is the initiative of Eyal Shiray, and Dr. Eyal Blum, Mayor of the Central Arava Regional Council. Festival Director and Producer: Eyal Shiray; Artistic Consultation: Edna and Dan Fainaru. The festival is supported by the Central Arava Region Council, the Jewish Agency, the Merage Foundation, the Ministry for Regional Cooperation, the Ministry for Development of the Negev and Galilee, the Israel Film Fund, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
