Film Synopses

Welcome Death

The young filmmakers create an encounter with old age and aging. Over the course of conversations with elderly people, the youths are exposed to their daily routine. Elderly people from varying populations in town relate differently to friendship, sex, independence, physical activity, dreams, and death.

Me, You, and the Lord by my Side

Seventeen-year-old Chen allows the crew members to witness the process she has undergone over the past year of becoming an orthodox Jew. Alongside Chen, Shoshi, a young teacher, presents an opposite process of departure from the religious world in which she grew up, as she gravitates towards the secular world.

Why does she Hunt them Down?

Lily adores the American television program "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and she's not the only one. The Israeli fan club numbers hundreds of people, of different ages and backgrounds. Lily and her friend Rafa explain why this program is so special and why it means so much to them. They even take us to "Buffy Ball III," a get together for all the fans that took place this summer in Tel Aviv.

Issam and I

The story of the close friendship between Issam and Adal, two boys residing in an Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem. The tragedy of Issam, whose father was murdered in a neighborhood quarrel, darkens their lives.

Where's the Limit?

Piercing and tattooing is a fashionable and popular trend amongst teenagers. In an effort to clarify the phenomenon, three of the production crew-members demonstrate in front of the camera the journey, beginning with the decision, and ending with the performance itself.

Holy City

A mixed group of Jews and Arabs set out to observe and define Jerusalem. A place defines identity; not a single identity but multiple identities. The dimensions of the problem are as great as the importance of this place. The film opens with a shot of the Old City that seems taken from a picture postcard. Different perspectives of a single place are presented and the significance of geographic and religious boundaries examined in an effort to understand the meaning of coexistence. Place and self-identity merge.

Fence/Enclosure/Barrier/Separation

Heebah lives in Jabr Mukabar and closely experiences the building process of the separation fence -- a wall that crosses Jerusalem. Many of the inhabitants oppose the fence's dimensions and its existence, and point to the difficulties and suffering it has caused. In contrast, Police Colonel Levi Amitai, presiding over the "Jerusalem Barrier," explains the vital need to establish an obstacle for the Palestinian terror that has injured the city. The breathtaking Jerusalem view, complex and beset by contrasting points of view, has changed; a new layer of concrete has been added to the skyline, remaining impossible to ignore.

Jumping into the Cold Water without Saying "Ah!"

Ever since childhood, Muhammad and Raad have been swimming in the small and measly pool of Jabr Mukabar, a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Today, they are outstanding swimmers, competing in international swimming meets and conducting rigorous practices -- in the same pool. Against all odds, an entire generation of young swimmers is growing, and they all share the same experience of learning to jump into the cold water without crying "Ah!"

Football

If it weren't for the reputation that football has in Israel, where the playing field reflects racism and ethnocentrism at their worst, it would be very unlikely to think that after watching this film, the possibility of future peace can be found in the center of a field or a locker room. Five teenagers, three Arabs and two Jews, play on the same team and even conduct a relationship of warm and truthful friendship. Issues concerning politics and state security are far from them. The team players wholeheartedly believe that no evil can befall them. Football is stronger than any conflict and their sacred goal has the power to create a fraternal friendship. When they arrive in Finland to play a game, the girls in the crowd cannot tell the difference between them.

Cedula de Identidad

For several weeks, Yichya and Muhammad have unsuccessfully tried to obtain identity cards at the East Jerusalem office of the Interior Ministry, serving the Arab population. The endless queues and chaos there create a most unpleasant atmosphere. Under the pretext of shooting a film, they accompany a Jewish man who is issued his identity card within half an hour at the West Jerusalem office of the Interior Ministry. They then attempt to obtain their ID cards there, but the computer and the clerks refuse to serve them, as they are Arabs who must go back to the east side office. A sad story of endless bureaucracy and discrimination in the "United Holy City."

Dad between Berlin and Palestine

Talah and Dana live in East Jerusalem with their mother, while their father works and resides in Germany. They let us glimpse into the lives of two teenage girls living without their father, into the difficulties and feelings they experience. They discuss the possibility of moving to Germany or staying in Jerusalem, while raising general questions of homeland and identity, and specific issues relating to the delicate political situation in which they are.