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11th Annual MSU Israeli Film Festival
(Movie / Film)
Marc Bernstein, film festival coordinator
Co-sponsored by African Studies Center; Asian Studies Center; Center for Gender in Global Context; College of Arts and Letters; Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages; Department of Religious Studies; Global Studies in the Arts and Humanities; Greater Lansing Jewish Welfare Federation; Hadassah Lansing; James Madison College; Lynn and Elliot Spoon; MSU Hillel Jewish Student Center; Muslim Studies Program; Peace and Justice Studies; and University Activities Board.
Line-up for Sunday's movies:
1:00 pm "Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem" (2014), directed by Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz
(Drama, 115 minutes)
A "gett" is the document that, according to Jewish law, a husband--at his discretion--presents to his wife in order to effect their divorce. A recalcitrant husband can refuse to grant a gett, thereby preventing the wife from marrying another man. In this powerhouse courtroom drama, Viviane is desperately seeking to finalize a divorce by taking her husband to the religious court, but finds herself effectively put on trial by her country's religious marriage laws. 2015 Academy Awards--Best Foreign Language Film Nominee, 2015 Golden Globe Awards nominee; Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2014--Directors' Fortnight Feature Competition; Winner, 2014 Israeli Film Academy Award for Best Film.
Discussant: Dr. Noga Morag-Levine, Professor of Law & George Roumell Faculty Scholar, MSU College of Law.
3:30 pm "Paris on the Water" (2014), directed by Hadas Ayalon
(Drama, 29 minutes)
The story of a passionate woman, Batya, formerly a glamorous film star, who is forced to confront her age, her husband, and the reality of her life. After years of failure at landing a role, she finally receives a part in a movie, but something happens the morning of the audition that forces her to reexamine her priorities in life. Winner, Student Academy Award for Best Foreign Film; Best Short Film, Israeli Academy Awards; Best Up-and-Coming Director, San Marino Festival.
Discussant: Dr. Yore Kedem, Assistant Professor of Hebrew, MSU.
4:30 pm "Next to Her" (2014), directed by Asaf Korman
(Drama, 90 minutes)
Twenty-seven year old Chelli is raising her mentally disabled sister Gabby all by herself. When the social worker finds out that Chelli has to leave her sister alone in the house while at work, she forced her to place Gabby in a day-care center. The void left by her sister's absence makes room for a man in Chelli's life. That man, Zohar, tears another crack in the symbiotic relationship of the two sisters. Israeli Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, nominated for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography; Grand Prize, Eurasian International Film Festival.
Discussant: Dr. Yuval Benziman, Israel Institute and Serling Visiting Israeli Scholar at MSU.
6:00-7:00 pm Free dinner catered by Woody's for those attending the films
7:00 pm "African Exodus" (2014), directed by Brad Rothschild
(Documentary, 71 minutes)
Seeking safety and asylum, some 60,000 Africans have fled to Israel over the past decade. The film explores how Israel, a tiny country established as a haven for Jews from around the world, has no adequate policy, infrastructure, or political will to handle this influx of non-Jewish refugees. In talks with immigration experts and UN officials, as well as leaders of Israeli NGOs, the film explores the different approaches being taken to deal with this new and unexpected wave of migration and suggests solutions to head off a full-fledged humanitarian crisis.
Discussant: Director Brad Rothschild will introduce his film and lead discussion afterward. (NOTE: On Monday, October 19, at 3:00 pm, Brad will take part in a panel discussion on this refugee situation in Israel.)
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(517) 432-3493
