Transgender Archives

Bar 51

Amos Guttman’s second feature film tells the story of a brother and sister from the country, who decide to find their luck in the big city Tel Aviv after the death of their mother. They meet Apollonia, the owner of a sleazy joint called “Bar 51”, who employs them at the bar, mostly because of her strong attraction to the brother, who in turn, is secretly in love with his own sister.
Apollonia is played by Ada Valerie Tal, the first Israeli transgender actress, and her character is based on Gila Goldstein, who used to perform at the real “Bar 51”.
“Bar 51” is a stylish creation that reminds of the early works of Fassbinder and Almodóvar.

Contains depictions of violence, including sexual assault and self harm.

Marzipan Flowers

A special screening in memory of Rotem Kalderon, mother of Adam Kalderon
All the proceeds from the screening will go to the rebuilding of kibbutz Be’eri

Before the screening: Opening words
After the screening: conversation with Mika Kalderon, actresses: Nouli Omer, Tal Kalay and Efrat Aviv, and the producer Ori Hod.

Adam Kalderon, a native of kibbutz Be’eri, filmed there his debut feature “Marzipan Flowers” during the military operation “Amud Anan” (2012). The script was inspired by events from his mother’s life, who also assisted with the production. A decade had passed since the release of this special and different film. Kalderon’s 2nd feature “The Swimmer” screened at TLVfest 2022.

Hadas is working at the kibbutz laundry, when she’s informed that her husband Moshe was killed in a traffic accident. In one second Hadas’ entire world crashes down. After a hard year of mourning, the kibbutz is getting too stifling for Hadas and she realizes she can’t move on with her life. She decides to leave the kibbutz, where she lived her whole life, in favor of a new life in Tel Aviv. Penniless and provincial, she shares an apartment with Petel, a vibrant trans woman, and works as a waitress. The journey to the big city makes Hadas confront the fact that her youth is gone, but also with the dreams she never fulfilled, and she decides to realize those desires: she opens up her own place and experiences a late marzipan blossoming.

Jerusalem Is Proud to Present

After the screening, a panel will take place with 3 LGBTQ activists from different cities –
Reut Nagar (Tel Aviv), Shiri Bar-On (Mitzpe Ramon) & Nava Dissentshik (Rosh Haayin), hosted by the film creator Nitzan Gilady.

In the summer of 2006, Jerusalem was to host, for the first time in history, the World Pride events, which were to culminate in a traditional gay pride parade. The planned events stirred turmoil in the politically complex city, with Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious leaders banding together in an uncompromising battle against what they said would “defile the holy city”. On the other side stood the activists of the Open House, Jerusalem’s LGBT community center, who planned the events. Steadfast in the face of the heated and violent anti-gay sentiment, they had to deal with threats to much more than just their right to march.

Sapir

After the screening: conversation with the creators.

Sapir Berman is part of the global revolution taking place today in professional sports in relation to the LGBTQ community. Sapir was born near Haifa, and began her career as a soccer player. She progressed at the highest speed, and at the age of 26 was appointed as a referee in the Premier League. Everything happened while she was still in the closet, without telling anyone about her true dream. Then, one day she announced to everyone, I am a woman and always have been. And so began her long-standing struggle to continue refereeing, while going through the gender affirming process. Today, she is still the only woman referee among 20 men in the Israeli Premier League.

Gay Days

The screening will be followed by a panel with Yair Qedar, Elliott, Michal Eden and Omer Ohana, on the subject of the Israeli LGBTQ community 15 years ago (when the film was released) versus today. What had changed for the better and what had not?

Director Yair Qedar chronicles Israel’s LGBT revolution in a series of interviews and archive footage and in the process, shares his own story – a boy from a small town who arrived in Tel Aviv in the mid-eighties and embarked on a journey that began with oppression, before plowing on towards equality and along the way, starting the free LGBTQ publication, The Pink Times (‘haZman haVarod’).

Gila Goldstein, Cat Lady

After the screening: conversation with the director Yael Bedarshi.

Premiere

Gila Goldstein (1947-2017) was an actress, artist and singer, one of the first Israeli transgender activists and also a feeder of stray cats.
“Gila Goldstein, Cat Lady” was shot in 1997 during a research on Tel Aviv cat feeding community. Gila agreed to participate in the film as long as the focus stayed on the cats. But then her friend Ronit Maimon showed up and the conversation went in a much more colorful direction, that gives us a glimpse of the Israeli trans community and the lives of these two brave and unique women.

Yair Hochner, TLVFest director:
Watching “Gila Goldstein, Cat Lady” brought me back to the moments that I miss so much – sitting with Gila in her living room or in a coffee shop and talking about life, sometimes seriously and sometimes jokingly. Watching this film is like watching a true moment, without any filters or shticks (one of Gila’s favorite words). It’s so realistic you can almost smell Gila’s cigarettes.

TLVFest dedicates this screening to Ronit Maimon who passed away this year.

The Inner Truth

After the screening: conversation with the creators.

“The Inner Truth”, led by Hila Alroi, the health correspondent of Channel 13, and directed by Liran Atzmon, sets out to examine how the transgender issue, while indeed affecting a very small percentage of the population, is at the heart of the media attention, discourse on social networks, a matter of dispute for organizations dealing with the subject (both in terms of community rights and in the struggle against its legitimacy), protests, films, and books.

That’s Gila, That’s Me

Alon Weinstock’s documentary film has a cult following with fans who return annually; packing movie theatre to capacity for the sole purpose of enjoying Gila Goldstein’s zingers and being moved by the life story of one of Israel’s first trans women who was also a Tel Aviv icon-turned legend, while still live.
Gila was born in the 50’s in lower Haifa. A young soccer player in the Maccabbi Haifa who had always known that she is a woman. In her 20’s she moved to Tel Aviv and worked as a prostitute and exotic dancer. In 2003 she was proclaimed the community’s darling for her contribution and continued fight for social justice.
The film, shot between 1997 – 2010, describes the world of a woman who is, despite fleeting years and many struggles, still happy, optimistic and feeling forever young. Because Gila is the one and only and in her own radical language: “That’s Gila, That’s Me.”

In memory of Gila Goldstein (18.12.1947 – 05.02.2017)

“Dana Kama” Picture Show

20:00-21:00 – Cocktail party
(for ticket holders only)
21:00 – Live show
(duration app. 90 min)

The cult series “Dana Kama” (2023, 13 episodes), winner of the Israeli Television Academy Award and follows Israel’s first international diva – the one and only Dana International, is coming to the TLVfest with a unique event.
Eran Swissa and Shay Kerem will ‘spill the tea’ in a Live episode of the podcast – “Dana Lo Kama” with special guests.
The podcast, which has become a cultural phenomenon in its own right, will take place on the TLVFest stage, where the two hosts will converse with the creators and participants of the show.

*Podcast is available on Spotify and other platforms.