Israel’s Oscar submission for the 95th Academy Awards is coming soon to The Weitzman. Courtesy of Kino Lorber.Rona (Dana Ivgy, Zero Motivation), a filmmaker from Tel Aviv, arranges a small group of Israeli and Palestinian women to attend a video workshop at a local community center. The students – a mixture of different ages, mothers, daughters, and wives – are assigned the task of filming their day-to-day lives and presenting the footage to class. Through a combination of laughter and heated yet manageable discussions of Israeli-Palestinian topics, an unbreakable bond is created between the women as they recognize their shared experiences as everyday women. Disagreements in religious or political beliefs aside, Rona’s project breaks barriers and unites a group of women with their own relatable truths to share.
Winner of five Ophir Awards (including Best Picture) and Israel’s submission for the 95th Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film, Orit Fouks Rotem’s feature debut is a stunning depiction of the power of art and conversation to unite people. Fantastically acted and sharply written with a steady fusion of drama and humor, CINEMA SABAYA is a film that opens bridges to connection and hope amidst a dissonant world.
CINEMA SABAYA screens Wednesday, November 8, 7 PM at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. For tickets, visit PhillyJFM.org/Cinema-Sabaya.