Panorama 2023 Archives - Page 2 of 3

The Radical

“The Radical” is an intimate portrait of the world’s first out gay Imam. Muhsin Hendricks was a Muslim fashion designer in South Africa, who fought to reconcile his faith and his sexuality. He went to Pakistan to study to become an Imam – so that he may better understand Islam. He came out in 1995, after he decided that he must be true to himself and the world, and founded the first gay mosque in Cape Town (one of South Africa’s three capitals) that later turned into the world’s Muslim queer network. After becoming an establishment in South Africa, Hendricks decided to try and help communities in east Africa who live in countries with anti-LGBTQ laws.
“The Radical” is a glimpse into the world of Muhsin Hendricks and the fight he heads for equality and individual safety. This is a film that is much more than just a portrait of Hendricks and a visit to different African countries – this is an inspiring cinematic manifesto on activism.

In association with the New Israeli Fund

My Sole Desire

A striptease show to a techno remix version of Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the sugar plum fairy”, nude reading of Chekhov and a satirical striptease on the theme of yellow vests protests. All these and more are part of a show in the Parisian strip club “À Mon Seul Désir”, a place where stripers with artistic flair can take professional risks and challenge their audience.
Manon (Louise Chevillotte, “Synonymes” by Nadav Lapid) is a young aimless woman with no real purpose in life. She spontaneously decides to start working at the club and is immediately drawn to her new colleagues, especially Mia (Zita Hanrot, “Angry Annie”), an ambitious actress with a partner and a child. The relationship between the two intensifies as they spend more and more time together and Manon finds herself falling for Mia. The two begin a secret affair in a place where you must draw the line between love and work.
Director Lucie Borleteau created a film about sex workers through a female non judgmental gaze. She describes the world of the women working in the club with all its complexities. The result is a surprising and unusual cinematic journey with excellent actresses in the lead roles and quite a few surprise guest appearances, such as Melvil Poupaud (“Time to Leave”), Félix Maritaud (“120 BPM”), legendary director Frederick Weisman and actress Ariane Labed (“Lobster”).

Viewing is 18+ due to explicit sexual content.

In association with the Embassy of France

Opponent

Iman is a former wrestling champion, a refugee from Iran, who is now wandering between refugee hostels in Sweden with his wife Miriam and their two daughters. Iman has escaped his homeland Iran in fear of persecution after a violent crime he committed. He is looking for ways to provide his wife and daughters a place to live and works delivering pizzas on a snow motorbike.
When Miriam becomes unexpectedly pregnant for the third time, and the talks with the Swedish immigration become tougher, Iman decides to renew his wrestling career, despite the promise he made to his wife never to engage in the dangerous sport again.
Iman is hoping that being included in the Swedish team will earn him a special staying permit as a sportsman. As his skills are very much appreciated by the local team and also by one of his fellow teammates (Björn Elgerd, “Are We Lost Forever”), the deeper reasons that lead Iman to fleeing Iran are about to surface.

In his second film, director/screenwriter Milad Alami is aided by a superb cast lead by Payman Maadi. He creates a complex and layered social drama dealing with culture clashes, identities, and how the individual is getting lost inside the political.
Swedish submission for the Oscar Awards 2024.

In association with the Embassy of Sweden

The Lost Boys

In a juvenile reform center, Joe is getting ready for his return to society, but he’s not sure how life will be on the other side of the fence. When William, a new inmate, moves to the cell next to him, Joe’s desire for freedom is turning rapidly into a different kind of want.

Using Camera Obscura shots, ink paintings, dance and rap, William and Joe embark on a shared journey of self-discovery – both are surprised by the emotional and physical attraction to each other. When the desperation and longing around them grows, they find solace in each other.

Director/Screenwriter Zeno Graton’s debut film traces expertly the twists and turns of desire between two young men and offers an uncompromising vision of love. Even behind bars, an unexpected crush can lead to a freeing and moving love story.

In association with the Embassy of Belgium.

Bones and Names

Boris the actor and Jonathan the writer are a couple, but their relationship reached the point where they can spend their evenings together-apart – one in bed reading scripts and the other working at the office desk in the next room. Boris is sinking further and further into rehearsals for a new film with an ambitious director whose way of work starts to affect his personal life. Meanwhile Jonathan is trying to redefine his voice as a writer. The couple is experiencing a period of emotional distancing, betrayal of trust, fear of losing their relationship as well as fear of losing themselves in it.

This is the debut feature film of actor, screenwriter and director Fabian Stumm, and he shows that he is one of most interesting young voices in German cinema today. Stumm manages to turn what seems to be banal and everyday scenes – in the bedroom, supermarket or rehearsal room, into something unexpected in a film that is an intelligent and amusing takeout on relationships.
The Israeli audience will remember Knut Berger, who plays Jonathan in the movie “Walk on Water” (2004).

Almamula

14 years old Nino is only on the verge of sexual awakening, but he is already a victim of homophobic hate crime. In order to protect him, his parents decide to leave the city and temporarily move to a farm where Nino’s father works in deforestation. The farm is surrounded by a dark forest where, as the local legend goes, lives the Almamula – a mysterious creature that kidnaps anyone who’s a sexual sinner. So not only does Nino have to face his fear of the monster that might come and claim him, he also has to deal with the church meetings his mother forces him to go to and the local priest who attempts to bring him closer to God by force. Will a meeting with the farm’s gardener give Nino a surprising solution to his existential queries?

Juan Sebastián Torales’ debut film, whose world premiere was at the Berlin Film Festival, delivers a mystical, sensual, surprising and thought provoking cinematic experience on prejudice and its collision with modern thinking.

Green Night

Jin Xia is a young Chinese woman, fleeing from a secret and troubled past. She arrives in South Korea where she marries a local man in exchange for a citizenship. She works at the airport security and one night meets a mysterious young woman with green hair. The two immediately gravitate towards each other, but what starts as a surprising night romance turns into a journey where they’ll have to fight for their lives against local criminals as well as face the violent men in their lives.

Director Han Shuai delivers to her audience a powerful crime thriller with two fascinating and surprising female leads: Chinese international film star Bingbing Fan (“I am not Madame Bovary”, “X-Men: Days of Future past”, “The 365”) in a breathtaking and unconventional role, and the rising Korean film star Lee Joo Young, who recently starred in “Broker” which featured at Cannes Festival.

The Trace of Your Lips

The screening will be preceded by the short movie “The Anniversary“

Aldo is a young man who is living in the same apartment building as Roman, an actor in action B-movies. Both of them are isolated in their flats since a pandemic broke out and they must adhere to the lockdown rules. They match online, talk and can even see each other via video calls, but they cannot meet in person. Eventually the urge to break the lockdown becomes too strong.

In his new film, groundbreaking director Julian Hernandez explores just how much loneliness feeds the passion and how bright does this flame burn when loneliness becomes isolation. After screening Hernandez’s previous films at the TLVFest (“Broken Sky”, “I Am Happiness on Earth” and “Bramadero”), this time he creates a world that reminds us of recent history, but also throws us into another horrible plague. This is a very passionate film about desires simmering under fear and caution.

Viewing is 18+ due to explicit sexual content.

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The Anniversary
Director & Script: Marius Gabriel Stancu
Producer: Cosimo Santoro
With: Joseph Altamura, Tobia De Angelis, Stella Mastrantonio, Andrea Pittorino
Italy, 2022, 17 minutes, Italian with English subtitles
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Today Rosa celebrates the anniversary of her engagement to Roberto. While she waits for him for dinner, she spends the afternoon at the pool with her younger brother Angelo. News of a boy’s body found in a field a few kilometers from the city is the topic of conversation. Roberto arrives before he’s expected and secrets are about to surface.
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In association with the Embassy of Mexico

Big Boys

An unexpected crush turns an innocent camping trip into a weekend of self discovery in this heartwarming coming-of-age film. 14 years old Jamie is one of those kids who are interested in French cuisine, first aid and reading the news. He’s very excited about the camping weekend with his beloved cousin Allie (Dora Madison, “Friday Night Lights”) and his annoying brother Will (Taj Cross, “PEN15”), but Allie brings along an unexpected surprise – her new boyfriend Dan. At first, Jamie is very disappointed by this addition that is going to steal the attention of his cousin, but then he slowly realises that Dan is actually a really nice guy – he can pitch up a tent and light a fire, he’s open to Jamie’s spice suggestions and enjoys playing the games Jamie is proposing. For the first time in his life Jamie starts to feel confusing feelings of falling in love.
Director/screenwriter Corey Sherman captures Jamie’s feelings in a reliable and moving way, and provides the audience with full and well-rounded characters. Isaac Krasner is very impressive in his first leading role (his next project is going to be next to Nicole Kidman). Also makes an appearance Emily Deschanel (“Bones”) as Jamie’s mother.

Equal

From ‘That’s Wonderful’ productions by Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Grag Berlanti (“Love Simon” and DC comic TV shows) comes a series that explores the birth of the LGBTQ activist movement in the USA.

Episode 1: The birth of a movement
America of the 50’s sees homosexuals as illegal, sick and immoral. As a retaliation two gay and lesbian movements rise up and fight back. The LGBTQ rights movement begins!

Episode 2: Transgender pioneers
The 1966 Compton riots in San Francisco were led by a community of transgender women, drag queens and other people who don’t fall into regular gender assumptions. This episode brings the stories of three remarkable transgender people.

Episode 3: Black is beautiful, gay is good!
The joining of LGBTQ rights and human rights – fights on the national, local and personal levels. We meet three very different activists- Lorraine Hansberry, Bayard Rustin and José Sarria and learn of the first big LGBTQ protest (and no, it’s not the Stonewall riots)

Episode 4: Stonewall: From rebellion to liberation
The Stonewall riots- one fateful night that began a week long of riots that led to the modern LGBTQ movement. After a year of militant activity that changed history- the first Pride Parade went out to the streets.

Additional screening: Be’er Sheva Pride House

In association with the Embassy of United States of America