Havin Yaim’s ID BLUES — JEWISH AND DEMOCRATIC examines Jewish and Arab identity in Israel
JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at West 76th St.
Cinema Village, 22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
November 11-21, $11
www.otherisrael.org
The Other Israel Film Festival was founded in 2007 by Carole Zabar as “a vehicle for cultural change and social insights into the nature of Israel as a democracy and the complex condition of the lives of its minorities that are living in the Jewish State.” The fourth annual festival runs November 11-21 at the JCC in Manhattan and Cinema Village, comprising feature-length works, a photography exhibit, panel discussions, and other gatherings that focus on Arab society in Israel. Mohammad Bakri fights to save his family’s land in Rani Bleier’s ADAMA, a fourteen-year-old girl leaves her home in Galilee and marries a Muslim in a refugee camp in Noa Ben Hagaii’s BLOOD RELATION, a Filipino worker adopts a blind Israeli child in Anat Tel’s I’M NOT FILIPINA, and Haim Yavin completes his trilogy about Arabs living in Israel with ID BLUES — JEWISH AND DEMOCRATIC. Other highlights include the U.S. premiere of the Israeli version of Ricky Gervais’s THE OFFICE (HA’MISRAD), the New York premiere of episodes from the second season of Sayed Kashua’s ARAB LABOR, and selections from the Israeli SESAME STREET (RECHOV SUMSUM). Each screening will be followed by a Q&A with the writer, director, producer, and/or star, including Sofi Tzdaka, Bakri, Tel, Edna Kowarsky, Uri Rosenwaks, and Shlomi Eldar. Among the special events — many of which are free but require advance registration — are “The Search for Justice” with Naomi Ragen, “Hot Off the Press” with Amy Goodman, Gideon Levy, and Khalil Rinnawi, a conversation about ARAB LABOR with Debra Winger, Danny Paran, and Kashua, a coffee tasting with Saul Zabar, a screening of Yaron Shani and Scandar Copti’s Oscar-nominated AJAMI, and “Crossover,” a concert by Mira Awad and Tamar Muskal. In addition, Natan Dvir’s photography exhibit, “18,” consisting of pictures of eighteen-year-old Arabs who live in Israel, will be on view through November 18 at Columbia University’s Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life on 115th St.
Hiroshi Teshigahara’s Sisyphean tale, based on Kobo Abe’s marvelous novel, tells the story of an entomologist (Eiji Okada) out in the desert looking for insects when he comes upon a village of people living in the sand dunes — and he is unknowingly sucked into their world. Kyōko Kishida stars as the title character. See the movie — just wait till you get to the psychedelic head trip scene — but be sure to read the book as well; the scenes of the man trying to escape by climbing up the sand will feel oddly familiar to anyone who has ever been trapped in a seemingly inescapable situation. Teshigahara, who died in April 2001, adds surreal visual elements that make the film an unusually compelling though basically simple story. Abe also collaborated with Teshigahara on PITFALL (OTOSHIANA), THE FACE OF ANOTHER (TANIN NO KAO), and THE MAN WITHOUT A MAP (MOETSUKITA CHIZU). WOMAN IN THE DUNES is screening as part of Rabbitholestudio’s weekly Wednesday night film series, which features free admission and is now BYOB.
Screening as part of Asia Society’s Japanese Cinema 1960s series, THREE OUTLAW SAMURAI stars Testsoro Tamba as Shiba, a wandering samurai who comes upon a town mired in chaos. The peasants have kidnapped the magistrate’s daughter (Miyuki Kuwano) to protest unfair taxation, but the magistrate has little time for them. Shiba is soon joined by Sakura (Isamu Nagato) and Kikyo (Mikihiro Hira) as they fight for what’s right. Director Hideo Gosha’s debut film, a classic Eastern Spaghetti Western, is more cerebral than many of its contemporaries, as it often opts for mental battles rather than swordfighting action. Sakura’s transition from a brash killer to a concerned potential lover is inspiring and heartbreaking, while Kikyo learns there’s more to being a samurai than wine and women. But don’t worry; Gosha makes sure we don’t get too bogged down in life lessons and sentimentalism. Tadashi Tsushima’s jazzy score is awesome. The series continues December 3 with Mikio Naruse’s YEARNING (1964) and December 10 with Kihachi Okamoto’s AGE OF ASSASSINS (1967) and Eiichi Kudo’s THE FORT OF DEATH (1969).