Winner of the best israeli feature film at the last haifa film festival, the testament manages to avoid the familiar tropes of holocaust movies and provides a surprising viewpoint. Director amichai greenberg weaves a tense drama about the ambiguity of truth in the fallout of the holocaust. Testament is a 1983 drama film based on a threepage story titled, the last testament by carol amen 19341987, directed by lynne littman and written by john sacret young. The film is in hebrew, english, german and yiddish lithuanian subtitles will be provided. Ori pfeffer portrays yoel, a researcher who demands the truth about a polish massacre of jews that took place at the end of world war ii. The film tells the story of how one small suburban town near the san francisco bay area slowly falls apart after a nuclear war destroys outside civilization originally produced for the pbs series american playhouse, it. Louis jewish film festival plaza frontenac cinema tuesday, june 5 at 7pm austria israel in english, german and hebrew with english subtitles director. The testament gershman philadelphia jewish film festival. The testament is an intriguing mystery and a different kind of holocaust tale, as well as a thoughtful exploration of the nature of identity. Following the announcement of an independent israel, five arab nationsegypt, jordan, iraq, syria, and lebanonimmediately invaded the region in. With introduction by susan balk, coauthor of viennas conscience and founding director of hate brakers in the taut israeli austrian thrillermystery the testament. Yoel is an international expert in holocaust research.
Uk jewish film is dedicated to developing an environment in which jewish film entertains, educates and enlightens diverse audiences in the uk and internationally. The mother jane alexander is loving, funny and a little harried. Modern cities, ancient locations, the dead sea, deserts, mountains, colorful markets, religion, judaism, palestinians, jesus, the church of the holy sepulcher, the wailing wall, the dome of the rock, biblical landscapes, genesis, the bible, coastal plane, tel aviv, crusaders, conflict. Early films were mainly documentary or news roundups, shown in israeli cinemas before the movie started. Jun 05, 2018 the gripping israeliaustrian mysterydrama the testament debuted at last years venice film festival, and was wellreceived.
Jul 20, 2017 a film by amichai greenberg yoel, a meticulous historian leading a significant debate against holocaust deniers, discovers that his mother carries a false identity. In 1933, a childrens book by zvi lieberman oded hanoded oded the wanderer was made into a silent film. During this film, the protagonist yearns to uncover. Yoel, a senior holocaust researcher, is in the midst of a widely publicized legal battle with powerful forces in austria, concerning a brutal massacre of jews that took place toward the end of wwii in the village of lensdorf.
Their worldrenowned films have been nominated for more academy awards for best foreign language film than any other country in the middle east. Ori pfeffer stars in writerdirector amichai greenbergs debut feature the testament, an israeliaustrian coproduction premiering in the orizzonti sidebar of the lido festival. Iac cinematec in collaboration with new york israel film center film festival is screening the testament director amichai greenberg yoel, a meticulous historian leading a significant debate against holocaust deniers in austria, discovers that his mother carries a false identity. His work has been commissioned by many esteemed organizations, including the mandel institute, yad vashem, and the spielberg visual history foundation. Israeligerman film the cakemaker a delicious look at a love triangle. Our location guide israel can be used to find the most suitable locations for your next production in israel. Jan 11, 2018 holocaust film the testament breaks poignant new ground in a flooded genre israeli director amichai greenberg unfolds a number of surprises in a movie which asks when never again. Yoel halberstam, is being interviewed by a european journalist about his holocaust research, which is stirring controversy in austria. Iac cinematec the testament israeli american council. The testament a jewish historian investigating a holocaust atrocity uncovers an identitychallenging family secret in this lowkey film. The testament cleveland international film festival.
A mystery about a man willing to risk everything to discover the truth. Israeligerman film the cakemaker a delicious look at a. The cakemaker was released on streaming services november 2018, and sold to the north american division of netflix. Movies were made in mandatory palestine from the beginning of the silent film era although the development of the local film industry accelerated after the establishment of the state. The roots of the culture of israel developed long before modern israels independence in 1948 and traces back to ancient israel c. It depicts a young sabra jew born in the land of israel who gets separated from his classmates on a school trip.
The spielberg film archive at the hebrew university of jerusalem is the worlds largest repository of film material on jewish themes as well as on jewish and israeli life. Testament may be 35 years old but it is still just as relevant today, if not more so, than it was when it was made in 1983. Jan 23, 2018 an israeliaustrian coproduction, the film is based on a real incident that took place in the town of rechnitz on the border between austria and hungary near the end of world war ii. Meticulous in his quest for the truth, deeply religious historian yoel halberstam ori pfeffer is sustained by his faith and work, toiling in the basement of the holocaust institute in jerusalem. A french and an israeli film about the holocaust sheldon. It would be hard to find two more pickedover subjects in israel nowadays, but by the end of the movie, director amichai greenberg will have you convinced that both. If youre looking for a feelgood film, this is not it. Is he willing to risk everything to reveal the truth. In hebrew, english and german with german subtitles synopsis. The testament, which won the israeli feature film competition at the haifa international film festival and premiered at the venice international film festival last fall, tells the story of yoel.
The pasaka movie theater in vilnius and the israeli embassy to lithuania invite the public to a free screening of the film testament at the movie theater located at sv. Director guy nattiv is a testament to the israel film festival. This years recordbreaking attendance at the festival is a testament to the creative force and exceptional work produced by israeli filmmakers and talent. Desert film society po box 5324 palm springs, ca 922635324 760. And seeing it again for the second time, knowing everything that would happen, anticipating each scene before it came, i was affected just as deeply. Both organizations share a common commitment to strengthen jewish life and foster intergroup understanding among atlantas diverse cultural, ethnic and religious populations. Other films that will be screened include a land without borders, maktub, the cakemaker, and longing, among others. Dan and cathy kaufman buy tickets here having spent over fifteen years studying the nazi methods of annihilating jews. Fulllength feature film relates the story of yacov damkani, once a local gangster who became a pioneer messianic evangelist on the streets of israel. He has been writing, directing, and producing for tv, film, and new media for over 15 years. Amichai has been writing, directing and producing for tv, film and newmedia for 15 years. Sep 18, 2017 ori pfeffer stars in writerdirector amichai greenbergs debut feature the testament, an israeli austrian coproduction premiering in the orizzonti sidebar of the lido festival.
Holocaust film the testament breaks poignant new ground in a flooded genre israeli director amichai greenberg unfolds a number of surprises in a movie which asks when never again. The movie begins with one of those typical families right out of tv commercials. Jacob 1994, peter hall this tnt cable movie is one in a series of old testament films broadcast by the network. Holocaust film the testament breaks poignant new ground. An uncompromising holocaust researcher uncovers a longburied secret that casts doubt on his family history, in the testament, best film winner at the haifa international film festival. Director lynne littman has created an effective, understated portrayal of the cost of a nuclear war in human terms, in a film as far removed from the fake hyperbole of action and disaster movies. The first featurelength film in hebrew was oded the wanderer 1933.
An accidental discovery of classified documents reveals that yoels mother, an orthodox jewish woman, has lived under an assumed identity for decades. In a typically didactic effort, the film emphasizes the importance of working the land and restoring a jewish connection to it. Montreal israeli film festival opens with the testament. This story follows the emotional drama of an israeli research historian, the son of holocaust survivors who struggles to discover the mass burial pit containing the graves of 200 jews who were murdered towards the end of the holocaust. After a decade of saying no, john grisham has made a movie deal for his 1999 bestselling novel the testament. After submitting his shorts to iff for the last 10 years and getting his academy awardwinning short skin turned into a featurelength film, he was honored at thursdays iff luncheon alongside legendary directorproducer roger corman and keshet media group ceo avi nir.
Plunged into professional and personal crisis, yoel starts. In 2018 the cakemaker won 7 ophir awards by the israeli academy of film and television, and became israels official entry to the 2019 oscars in the best foreign film category. Holocaust film the testament breaks poignant new ground in. Producers mark johnson and hunt lowry are teaming with 821 entertainment group. The gripping israeliaustrian mysterydrama the testament debuted at last years venice film festival, and was wellreceived. A mystery about a man who is willing to risk everything to discover the truth. It is a quiet, solemn, beautifully written and skillfully made film. With stories covering aspects of the israelipalestinian conflict and a variety of fiction tales tackling different issues of society in israel and in general, israels film and tv industry is bustling. The atlanta jewish film festival is an independent nonprofit arts organization that continues an active partnership with its founding agency, american jewish committee.
Director amichai greenberg brings a fresh look at the holocaust by focusing on this personal story and the questions it raises about identity. Another film that lovingly displays an israeli population and culture rarely committed to film, it is a testament to how international conflicts affect the lives of everyday citizens and how ordinary people can learn to rise above. His work includes projects for education and commercial institutions such as mendel institute, yadvashem, and the spielbergs shoah visual history foundation. An israeliaustrian coproduction, the film is based on a real incident that took place in the town of rechnitz on the border between austria and hungary near the end of world war ii. Filmography the testament 2017 producers yoav roeh, aurit zamir. It reflects jewish culture, jewish history in the diaspora, the ideology of the zionist movement that developed in the late 19th century, as well as the history and traditions of the arab israeli population and ethnic minorities that live in israel. By shira sorkoram for the first time in the history of modern israel, a faithbased film on yeshua the messiah has been produced and premiered in theaters across israel. Some of the details have been changed, blurred or dramatized, but the heart of the story remains. Yoel, a meticulous historian leading a significant debate against holocaust deniers, discovers that his mother carries a false identity. The montreal israeli film festival fcim takes place from may 617, 2018, at the cineplex cinema forum. This year, the th edition of the festival will open with the screening of amichai greenbergs the testament.
No upcoming screenings of this film are currently scheduled. Testament may be the first movie in a long time that will make you cry. His feature film debut, vice versa, premiered at mjff 2016. Following the announcement of an independent israel, five arab nationsegypt, jordan, iraq, syria, and lebanonimmediately invaded the region in what became known as the 1948 arabisraeli war. Sof haolam smolah turn left at the end of the world 2004. Yoel, a worldrenowned israeli historian, is unearthing a painful truth close to home. The movie was written and directed by amichai greenberg. Jul 19, 2018 israeligerman film the cakemaker a delicious look at a love triangle. The actors should all have been nominated for awards jane alexander was.
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