"Other Israel" Film Festival Tells Little-Known Stories
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The Jewish Community Center on Manhattan's Upper West Side is hosting a unique film festival that explores the lives of Israeli's Arab citizens. NY1's Arts reporter Stephanie Simon filed the following report.With more than a dozen films showing the life of Arabs living in Israel, just coming up with a name for the current festival in the Upper West Side’s Jewish Community Festival was difficult for founder Carole Zabar.
“If we said anything with the word ‘Arab’ in it, we were afraid that we were going to lose a part of the audience that we intended for. If we just said ‘Israeli,’ it wouldn't really convey what it was about,” said Zabar. ‘So we came up with ‘Other,’ because it’s a very common word to describe a minority.”
The "Other Israel Film Festival" showcases films made in Israel that focus on the Arab population.
The second annual festival includes documentaries "Heart of Jenin," about a Palestinian boy who is accidentally killed by an Israeli solder, whose organs are then donated by his father to an Israeli hospital. “Desert Brides” looks at Bedouin women in polygamous marriages.
“The goal of this festival is give New Yorkers, Americans an idea of this 20 percent of Israel's population that nobody ever gets to see,” said Zabar.
Zabar studied in Israel and is fluent in Hebrew. While some wonder, occasionally in harsh language, why Zabar would want to showcase the lives of Israeli Arabs, she believes film is the right vehicle for cultural understanding.
“People love coming to movies, they love coming to theaters and also it’s an arena where Arabs and Jews really do get along. Great, great collaborations,” she said.
Isaac Zablocki, the director of film programs at JCC and executive director of the film festival, also agrees on film’s ability to unite.
“I think you’re seeing in most of these films there’s a really common existence. One of my favorite films in the festival is movie called ‘Lady Kul el-Arab,’ which is about the first Druze woman to run for the Miss Israel competition,” said Zablocki.
All the movies are being shown at the JCC and Downtown’s Cinema Village, and many screenings include discussions with actors, producers and directors.
The second annual Other Israel Film Festival runs through November 13. For more information, visit www.otherisrael.org.