Directors: Ido Glass, Yoav Kleinman | Israel | 2021 | Documentary | Hebrew / English / Arabic / English Subtitles | 90 min

SYNOPSIS:

A beautifully filmed movie about the devastating environmental issues that are destroying the Dead Sea, one of the wonders of the world. An Israeli, a Palestinian and a Jordanian organize a mass long distance swim across the Dead Sea to raise international awareness of the overconsumption and poor water management which is destroying this biologically and historically significant body of water. Their effort is extremely hard, both because the water is toxic to ingest, but also because they have to convince the authorities of all three countries to allow them to achieve their goal. Three historic enemies join forces on a heroic journey, to stop this catastrophe and save the Dead Sea from disappearing.

SUPPORTED by Consulate of Israel in Hong Kong and Macau

Director: Haim Bouzaglo | Israel | 2021 | Comedy/Drama | Hebrew / French / Moroccan / English Subtitles | 102 min

SYNOPSIS:
The God-loving and traditional Vaknin Family lives in a remote town in Israel, longing for the good old motherland of Morocco and trying to make some sense of their lives. Their son Jojo is a schemer, constantly looking for a quick way to make money, but his gambling addiction drags the family into a financial crisis which threatens to tear them to pieces. This dramatic and comic story, told by another son, Sammy, an aspiring filmmaker, provides a delightful view into the dynamics and culture of a Moroccan family in Israel.

SPONSORED by Anonymous
SUPPORTED by Consulate of Israel in Hong Kong and Macau

Director: Moshe Rosenthal | Israel | 2022 | Comedy / Drama | Hebrew / English Subtitles | 100 min

SYNOPSIS:
Karaoke is about one coupleas quiet revolution. Tova and Meir have been married for 46 years and lead a fairly quiet existence in a sleepy middle-class suburb. When Itsik, a Miami-based modeling agent, moves into the penthouse of their building, their whole world is turned upside down. Attractive, showy, modern, Itsik is everything they’re not. As they lose themselves into a noxious fascination, their lust for life is slowly reignited. Presented at the Tribeca Film Festival this comedy gem features Sasson Gabay (Shtisel), Lior Ashkenazi and Rita Shukrun.

SPONSORED by Anonymous

Director: Pini Tavger | Israel | 2021 | Drama | Hebrew / Russian /A English Subtitles | 82 min

SYNOPSIS:

Pinchas and his mother Tamara are new Russian immigrants to Israel. While Tamara is at work Pinchas spends most of his time alone. When he learns that his classmates are preparing for their Bar Mitzvahs, he asks his religious neighbor Shimon Amzaleg to help him prepare. Shimon, who still lives with his parents, is a religious bachelor waiting to meet the right girl. The two form a strong bond and Shimon treats Pinchas as his own son. Despite her initial disapproval of his religious influence, Tamara gradually falls in love with Shimon. Pinchas learns to accept his mother’s need for love but things get complicated when Shimon’s Rabbi pressures him to marry a woman from their community.

SPONSORED by Ohel Leah Synagogue Charity
SUPPORTED by Consulate of Israel in Hong Kong and Macau

Director: David Hoffert | Canada | 2021 | Biography / Documentary |A English | 104 min

SYNOPSIS:

The astonishing story of composer Leo Spellman, a Polish Holocaust survivor who sets out on a riveting and emotional journey towards artistic liberation at the age of 98. The film, narrated by Stephen Fry, features a musical masterpiece lost for more than fifty years; the revelation of a secret wartime diary; a harrowing tale of survival told through animation; powerful live concert performances by orchestras in North America and Europe; and an uplifting finale as Spellman’s legacy is finally recognized in the town where he so narrowly escaped death. Born into a musical dynasty that includes 1st cousin Wladyslaw Szpilman (played by Adrian Brody in The Pianist), Spellmanas wits helped him survive the Holocaust and become one of Torontoas best known dance orchestra leaders. His diaries, found after he passed away, are among the most revealing documents of their kind from WWII.

SUPPORTED by Canadian Consulate in Hong Kong,A Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre

Director: Bianca Stigter | Netherlands / United Kingdom | 2021 | Documentary |A English / Polish / German / Yiddish / English Subtitles | 68 min

SYNOPSIS:

Three minutes of footage, an American touristas souvenir from a vacation filmed in 1938, are the only moving images left of the Jewish inhabitants of Nasielsk, Poland from before the Holocaust. Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, this three minute clip, in color, random, full of life, becomes a full length documentary- an historical record with a highly personal dimension, and a meditative glimpse into the lives of the unsuspecting Jewish citizens of a small Polish village at the precipice of World War II.

SUPPORTED by Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance CentreA

Director: Anna Somershaf | Israel | 2021 | Documentary | Hebrew / English Subtitles | 75 min

SYNOPSIS:

Ultra-Orthodox women are forbidden to run for Israeli parliament in the ultra-religious political parties, but one woman is determined to change that. Esty Shushan and her friends won’t stop until they achieve equal rights for 600,000 Haredi women. Fighting against threats from their community, and the real risk that their children could be kicked out of schools, these women are prepared to make, having raised and supported large families, the change they want from within the religious world.

SPONSORED by Sharon Ser
SUPPORTED by Consulate of Israel in Hong Kong and Macau