Cinema Sabaya

Southeast US Premiere

Israel’s official entry to the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film and winner of three Israeli Academy Awards (Ophirs) including Best Film and Best Director. Sparked by her own experience in leading film workshops, director Orit Fouks Rotem delivers an inspirational drama about the power of art to unify and create connections across cultures. Nine women enroll in a course with Rona (played by Dana Ivgy from MJFF 2015 film Zero Motivation), a young director hired to teach an introductory filmmaking course. Jewish and Arab, secular and devout, these nine women share their personal video footage with their classmates every week. They use their meetings and exercises to reflect on their roles as wives and mothers and pluck up the courage to imagine a different reality for themselves. With each lesson, they are not only confronted with the stark differences in their circumstances, but also by their elements of connection. The result is both an illuminating lesson in empathy and a beautiful portrait of women bridging the cultural divide and gathering in sisterhood.

Accompanying the film premiere is a discussion with director Orit Fouks Rotem and actors Dana Ivgy & Joanna Said. To view the conversation please click here.