search
Search
Close this search box.
youtube
instagram
facebook
search
Search
Close this search box.

Subscribe

WhatsApp

European 2024

Gondola

In the mountains of west Georgia, a rural community relies on a pair of cable cars that connect two sides of a steep valley. Iva returns to her home village following the death of a relative and takes up a job operating one of the cable car gondolas. She forms a long distance friendship with Nina, the operator of the other gondola. In time, those aerial meetings turn to naughty flirting between the two young women and then deepen into love.
This strange romance is wordless, but has a very unique and original cinematic vision from writer/director Veit Helmer. It is a delightful piece, very visually pleasing, full of fun and charming cinematic ideas. 82 minutes with no dialogue but with a lot of love for the art of cinema as well as its two wonderful heroines. In “Gondola” love truly floats between heaven and earth, and it is simply a film of pure fun.

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque, 8.11, 18:00

In association with the Embassy of Germany

“Mascarpone: The Rainbow Cake” & show by Tom Schneid

8.11 – Before the screening: Musical performance by Tom Schneid

Italian director Alessandro Guida returns with “Mascarpone: The Rainbow Cake”– a sequel that doesn’t fall short from its predecessor.
Antonio and Luca reunite for the first time after three years since the death of their good friend Denis. Luca had to close his bakery, and now works as youth counsellor, with his partner Tancredi, at an LGBTQ youth shelter. Antonio focused on his job and meaningless flings, and is now a celebrity chef. The meeting reignites their special relationship and Antonio realizes, for the first time, what a mistake he’s made leaving Luca behind.
“Mascarpone: The Rainbow Cake” manages to surprise and be a mature film about how to free oneself from the shackles that tie us to the past, so that we can look forwards to the future. The cast is wonderful, the plot is moving and of course there are a few delicious baked treats.

It is not vital to watch the first film in order to enjoy the sequel.

 

Foto credit: 9ron9
Foto credit: 9ron9

Tom Schneid IG

.

Fragments of a Life Loved

For over thirty years, both in Rome and in Paris, Chloé Barreau filmed her relationships. When she’d enter a relationship she made sure to shape her memory with videos, stills and writing. But how do her exes remember her and their experience from the relationship with her? How close is their version to Chloé’s version?
“Fragments of a Life Loved” builds up a mosaic of a woman’s life, the film’s creator, based on interviews with those who loved her. Intimate memories and private materials are woven together to expose the universal sides of relationships and the way we experience love stories through the years’ perspective.

M

Menachem Lang left the orthodox Jewish world years ago. As a child, he was a dedicated Yeshiva boy, applauded for his melodic voice and promising cantorial skills. But behind the scenes, a dark secret lurked: for years, he had been sexually abused by rabbis and other adults in the community. Now, 35-year-old Menachem returns to the scene of the crime, where random encounters reveal similar stories from the past and present, and, together with his own personal account, shed light upon a repressed and particularly disturbing phenomenon.
Esteemed French director Yolande Zauberman’s documentary, filmed entirely at night, won many awards and was screened at dozens of festivals to outstanding critical acclaim.

Scene from “M” 

Two more movies by Yolande Zauberman are screened at the festival.

Nelly and Nadine

The voice of Nelly, an opera singer, is ringing out in the middle of Ravensbruck concentration camp. Nelly and Nadine first met
on Christmas 1944 in the hell of the concentration camp and there started a relationship that would change their world. Nelly Mousset-Vos, was an opera singer in Paris, who used to frequent Natalie Clifford Barney’s literary salon in the 30’s. Nadine Hwang was the rebellious daughter of the Chinese ambassador to Spain. Sylvie, Nelly’s granddaughter, discovers a diary, 8mm film clips and audio tapes in a locked box belonging to her grandmother. She pieces together the unbelievable, bigger-than-life love story of Nelly and Nadine. For a whole year, Swedish acclaimed director Magnus Gertten (“Only the Devil Lives without Hope”) accompanies Sylvie in her search for the untold stories of her grandmother Nelly and her lover Nadine. The result is a moving documentary about a deep, loving relationship.
This is an unforgettable memoir of two women who were determined to be truly free, as well as a reminder of the need for individual and collective remembrance.

Rotten Tomatoes rating 93%

Three Nights A Week

.
Cookie Kunty is a talented Parisian drag queen. Everyone who is familiar with the world of drag knows how hard it is for drag queens to find love. Therefore, when Cookie meets 29 years old Baptiste, she finds it hard to believe that he’s interested in her, but Baptiste is immediately mesmerized by Cookie. At first he’s driven by the idea of creating a photography project with Cookie and sinks into her world, but eventually starts to develop a relationship with Quentin, the young man behind the drag queen. The problem is, Baptiste has never been in a relationship with a man before and he is in a long term relationship with Samia, a hospital nurse, who also works at the HIV clinic.

In his debut film director Florent Gouëlou provides the audience a cinematic experience rich in colors and music, and featuring a different and surprising love story, which is also a coming out story. Actor Pablo Pauly is wonderful as Baptiste and Romain Eck as Cookie/Quentin builds a moving and complex character.

Girl Picture

Best friends Mimmi and Ronkko work at a local shakes bar after school. They exchange honest stories about their frustrations and expectations of love and sex. Rebellious Mimmi is swept into a thrilling and unexpected romance with Emma, a professional figure skater practicing for the European Championship. Both girls struggle to find the trust and compromise needed to sustain a long term relationship. Meanwhile Ronkko is hopping from one party to another and from one sexual encounter to the next in order to find the One that would make her feel sexual satisfaction and give her the long sought after orgasm she craves.
“Girl Picture” is a delicate and funny exploration of the fears and confusions that come with discovering one’s sexual identity and female sexuality. Director Alli Haapasalo brings to life the three main characters’ unbridled young spirit in a very intelligent and contemporary way. The three main actresses are very impressive in creating the characters of young and complicated individuals. “Girl Picture” is a film which gives us a positive and refreshing view of the power of female friendship.

Turtles

Since Thom and Henri met 35 years ago, their love has never wavered. They live a seemingly perfect life in Brussels. When Henri retires from his job as a police officer, the extra hours together start to shake the foundations of their relationship. Henri’s days seem to stretch endlessly and Thom is starting to lose his patience. They slowly drift apart from each other until the house becomes a battlefield. Thom’s love for Henri remains strong and he refuses to give up on them. He will do anything to save their relationship and reignite their love, even if it means asking Henri for a divorce.

This is a third film by David Lambert at the TLVFest and now he brings to the big screen a story of an elderly couple who’s been living together for decades, long before it was socially accepted to be LGBT, long before there were gay marriages or queer couples could legally adopt. Now the couple faces a new dynamic in their lives when they are suddenly both senior citizens, who need to adjust to a different rhythm of life and basically rediscover each other.

The Writer

American-Lithuanian Kostas and Russian-Lithuanian Dima meet anew in New York, decades after they served together in the Soviet army. They fell in love in the 80’s and Dima joined Kostas and moved to Lithuania. When Lithuania restored its independence, Kostas left to study in New York and left Dima behind. Kostas gained fame, when a book he wrote, based on their love story, became a bestseller and turned him into a sought after writer and lecturer. When they meet again, Dima, who in the meantime married and divorced a woman, wishes to exorcise their demons and rectify the story that is told in the book.
Through examining the art of conversation, director Romas Zabarauskas explores how history and geopolitical changes affect people’s private lives, such as relationships, friendships and love.

Romas Zabarauskas has been a TLVfest’s guest back in 2021, and this is his 5th film.

“Chuck Chuck Baby” & Stand-up by Talya Bartfeld

Before the screening: short Stand-up show by Talya Bartfeld

Northern Wales, a chicken packing factory, in the background are the inspiring tunes of Neil Diamond, Janis Ian, Minnie Riperton and others. Helen is in her late 30’s and spends most of her time either at the factory or taking care of her ex’s dying mother.
A surprising twist comes in the shape of Joan, her former neighbor who returns to the godforsaken town. The two women renew their friendship, Helen regains her joie-de-vivre as well as some hidden desires. The two begin a playful courtship – but will they have the courage to let go of the painful past and let their love win?
Oh, and did we mention that the whole thing is an uplifting, full of life, lesbian kind-of musical?

Please note: part of the movie takes place in a meatpacking factory. No animals were hurt during the filming.

Additional screening: 8.11, 20:00, without a show.

.

© 2023 | הצהרת נגישות | פרטיות  | עיצוב ופיתוח Fatfish - web & mobule design and development