The festival will feature over 30 local and international documentaries, streamed on the festival website, including:
A premiere of I Am Greta, about Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who became an iconic climate activist; a premiere of the three-part series Israelis Who Are Changing The World, courtesy of yes Docu, about the discoveries, lives, and insights of three young Israeli scientists who have made groundbreaking, internationally-recognized scientific contributions; a pre-premiere of Belushi, about the short, tumultuous life of John Belushi; a premiere of The Circle, a film about Estonia’s first eco-community and the urges that threaten its existence; a premiere of My Mexican Bretzel, a mesmerizing exploration of truth and lies, told through archive footage; and a premiere of Keith Haring: Street Art Boy, a vivid portrait featuring previously unheard interviews.
The festival’s opening film will be Raymonde El Bidaoia (HOT 8), Yael Abecassis’ film about her mother, Raymonde El Bidaoia. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker. The festival’s closing film will be Docaviv 2020 winner of the Israeli Competition Love It Was Not (yes Docu). The festival will also feature more of this year’s top local and international documentaries, Q&As with filmmakers, and a unique family-friendly program.
A special program dedicated to dance documentaries will feature Cunningham, about the revolutionary choreographer Merce Cunningham; If It Were Love, about Crowd, French choreographer Gisèle Vienne’s demanding dance piece; and the short films With Slight Steps—about the high-priestess of Israeli folk dancing Tirtza Hodes, and Gurit Kadman, Nili Tal’s 1980 film about the pioneer of Israeli folk dancing and Israel-Prize recipient.
The festival program also showcases films by local filmmakers from the Galilee, including the Wings archive: a collection of films made during the last eight years at the Apter Barrer Art Center film workshop, led by filmmakers Yael Kipper and Ronen Zaretsky. The archive will be accessible for free throughout the festival, with 46 films telling the unique stories of Ma’alot-Tarshiha and the Western Galilee. Alongside the archive, the festival will feature a world premiere of I Feel We are Alike, the result of this year’s Docaviv youth film workshop project led by filmmakers Tal Barda and Shadi Habib Allah, and supported by the Weil-Bloch Foundation.
As in previous years, the festival will continue its fruitful cooperation with the Apter Barrer Art Center at Ma’alot-Tarshiha. During the festival, viewers will be able to take a virtual tour of the Untitled exhibition featuring works by Moshe Gershuni (1936–2017) and Rachel Rabinovitch (born 1956), curated by Naama Chaikin. Available on the Docaviv website, the tour will allow viewers to experience the artworks at the gallery from up-close.
The festival will also host a seminar for film students held in collaboration with the Israeli Documentary Filmmakers Forum. The seminar will feature a screening of The Three Yossi and a masterclass with the directors, Yael Kipper and Ronen Zaretsky, who will examine the relationship between documentarists and their subjects. As in previous years, thousands of school students from Ma’alot-Tarshiha will watch documentaries at special screenings organized by the festival.
Now in its 12th edition, Docaviv Galilee has become an integral part of the Galilee’s cultural life. This year, the festival goes virtual, enabling viewers to enjoy the best Israeli and international documentaries from the safety and comfort of their homes.
Some of the films will remain available throughout December on Docustream, Docaviv’s monthly documentary streaming event.
Docaviv Galilee is a Docaviv initiative produced in collaboration with the Ma’alot-Tarshiha Municipality, with support from The Ministry of Culture.
Docaviv director Galia Bador: “Docaviv Festival’s partnership with Ma’alot-Tarshiha has now turned 12. This year, the festival goes online, providing an online platform for local and international filmmakers to showcase their work. For the first time, Docaviv Galilee will be opening the Wings archive to the public, giving free access to 46 films by local filmmakers from the Galilee, all filmed in recent years. We believe the festival’s rich program reflects the intricate social tapestry of Ma’alot-Tarshiha and the surrounding towns and villages. The program features premieres of films about people who are creating social and ecological change in the world. Thanks to our online platform, this year’s local festival will gain country-wide visibility. I am happy and proud that the festival, which has become an essential part of the Galilee’s cultural landscape, will be going ahead despite these difficult times, and providing our audience with superb original documentaries.”
Arkadi Pomerantz, Mayor of Ma’alot-Tarshiha: “I am proud that even in these challenging days, Ma’alot-Tarshiha can host this incredibly important festival, a cultural event that has become a long-standing tradition in our town. And now, thanks to the blessings of the digital age, we can expand our reach to the whole country. Enjoy the films!”