Film Guide - Docaviv 2023 – Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival

All Films

118

An animated documentary film, showing a new perspective of women who work or live in the shelter for battered women. Based on interviews describing their daily experience in the shelter.

Letters and diaries which have been written during the 1948 War of Independence, breathe life into the era and people who wrote them - Jews and Arabs. In the present, people who work in commemorating or breaking that war's ethos are documented.

20 Days In Mariupol

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the last remaining camera crew in Mariupol captured the events from the very heart of the war zone. More than an incredibly personal firsthand account, this film showcases the determined journalistic work of those who were the world’s only source of information about the besieged city.

A Bunch of Amateurs

Britain’s oldest amateur filmmaking club is teetering on the brink of survival. Its members, most of them aging eccentrics, may be short on money, but they have dreams aplenty: to recreate iconic scenes from musicals, to keep bringing fantasies to life. Will cinephilia and humanism beat the economic crisis?

A Compassionate Spy

Nuclear physicist Ted Hall had an explosive secret: during his work on the Manhattan Project, he had shared classified information with the USSR. Fifty years later, Hall and his wife (who knew all along) tell their story—a story about love, sacrifice, and ideology.

A Minor Crime

What happens when a woman chooses to report sexual violence? Filmmaker Nur Fibak lays open the legal proceedings around the sexual abuse she had suffered as a child, revealing her transition from accuser to witness.

Angels

Eight men and women of different ages and backgrounds embark on an emotionally-fraught journey. All of them were sexually abused as children. Speaking with incredible honesty, they shed a powerful light on the darkness faced by one in five girls and boys in Israel.

Anhell69

This is the story of Medellín’s queer scene, told using spellbinding cinematic aesthetics. Director Theo Montoya revisits young voices and faces lost far too soon, spotlighting Camilo Najar (a.k.a. Anhel69), who had been cast as the star of Montoya's zombie film shortly before dying of an overdose.

Apolonia, Apolonia

Apolonia was born to bohemian parents and grew up in an underground Parisian theater. Filmmaker Lea Glob followed this young and incredibly charismatic artist for 13 years and was able to document her artistic and political growth thanks to their deep friendship. The film won the international competition at IDFA.

AUM: The Cult At The End Of The World

How is it that despite all the early warning signs, a Japanese cult managed to grow unchecked, amass weapons in preparation for doomsday, and be willing to kill thousands to please their leader? An investigation chock-full of firsthand accounts sheds light on the past (and present) of Aum Shinrikyo.

Balls

A soccer tournament between the armies of former Yugoslav republics transforms a source of hate into an instrument for peace.

Bear

Surprised at what she discovered when watching a wildlife filmmaker’s footage, a film editor invites him to a debate about the meaning of objectification.

Before Bedtime

Three years after receiving a terminal ALS diagnosis, 47-year-old Michal lost everything she was, except for being a mother.

Bella's Daughter

19-year-old Tsehla has an unwanted pregnancy, which brings her to reestablish her dependent relationship with her mother Bella.

Between Revolutions

Caught in a vortex of historic events as revolutions sweep through their countries (Iran in 1979, and Romania in 1989), two young women exchange dozens of letters about their lives, hopes, and struggles. The film features rare archive footage and letters captured by the Romanian secret police.

Big Ears Listen With Feet

Artist-filmmakers Bêka & Lemoine embark on a hectic tour chock-full of surprises and dizzying sensory thrills with esteemed Thai architect Boonserm Premthada, whose congenital near-deafness has given him a unique sensitivity, enabling him to design remarkable structures and spaces.

Blind Spot

A young couple moves from Jerusalem to Jaffa to get closer to Tel-Aviv. They learn to suppress reality outside their window in favor of a comfortable life until the walls around them collapse.

Bobi Wine: The People's President

Ugandan ghetto pop star Bobi Wine rises from singer to leader and hero of the people as he fights to restore democracy in his country, persisting in his grueling struggle even when the cost is painfully high not only for him but also for his wife and children.

Casa Susanna

Back when crossdressing was a crime in the US, there was a secret refuge in the Catskills, a paradise for those who wanted to live in their true trans identities, even if only for a weekend (with their wives). This is a story about courage, honesty, and one heartwarming community.

Castle, The-

When her wealthy mistress passed away, Justina inherited the castle she had been cleaning and scrubbing since age five. Except the castle is crumbling, and she cannot afford the repairs. Slowly, she begins to contemplate saying goodbye to her vast, beautiful, and strange home—the only home she knows.

Close To Vermeer

To set up the biggest-ever exhibition of Vermeer’s artworks—one that millions of tourists will flock to—Rijksmuseum curator Gregor Weber and his team are gathering Vermeer's magnificent paintings from collections around the world, and trying to solve the mysteries surrounding the great artist's life and art.

Dancing Pina

14 years after her death, Pina Bausch’s groundbreaking dance pieces are still helping passionate young dancers rediscover their bodies. In Germany and Senegal, two of the late choreographer’s most famous works return to the stage, loaded with powerful personal and cultural meaning.

Days of Pick

Tsvika Pick, Israel's first pop star, never let his downfalls diminish his place as king - at least in his opinion. Composed of rare archival footage and interviews, including ones with Pick himself shortly before his death.

De Humani Corporis Fabrica

Advanced technologies now allow us to insert cameras into areas of the body previously considered mysterious and inaccessible. Leviathan filmmakers Paravel and Castaing-Taylor invite us on a journey through the exciting wild landscapes of the human body, into the depths of the flesh-and-blood systems that we, sentient beings, inhabit.

End of Love Season

At 75, Geula broke up with her husband Arik, 77. A contractor built a wall that divided their house in two. This intimate, funny, painful and surprising family journey reveals why it took them 55 years to break up.

Fashion Reimagined

Fashion designer Amy Powney of cult label Mother of Pearl is a rising star in the London fashion scene. Raised off-the-grid in rural England by activist parents, Amy has always felt uneasy about the devastating environmental impact of her industry. When she wins the coveted Vogue award for the Best Young Designer of the Year, which comes with a big cash prize, Amy decides to use the money to create a sustainable collection from field to finished garment, and transform her entire business. Over the following three years, her own personal revolution becomes the precursor of a much bigger, societal change.

Favorite Daughter

When the filmmaker’s mother and grandmother spend lockdown together, barbed remarks give way to close affection.

Free Money

When GiveDirectly starts giving away money to poor Kenyan villagers, they stir up a storm: those who get paid are thrilled, but what about the rest? A young local woman has her dreams of an education shattered, and the neighboring village seethes with envy. Is this the solution to poverty?

Future Brilliant

Gisele dreams of becoming an English teacher and finding love—someone who will understand and support her. The young tetraplegic, the filmmaker’s sister, is determined to succeed even in the face of hesitance from those around her. This beautiful film captures the quiet tenderness found even in the hardest moments.

Girl, Disordered

Girl, Disordered portrays my personal journey, as an associative digital collage that sheds light on life with ADHD. It is an attempt to illustrate a transparent disorder into a documentary detailing the difficulties and symptoms.

Golda's Prince

In the early 2000s of the Tel Aviv skateboard scene, Moti was an enigmatic skateboarder who was willing to pay any price it takes to become a “pro skater”.

Gorda

Lior and Fortuna make an unusual couple. Are they mother and son, friends, or simply two lonely immigrants that chose to live together as their own family?

Inbal Perlmutter- If you let me go

Inbal Perlmutter was a living legend who made her breakthrough as the lead singer in the all-female band Ha’Machshefot, bringing a unique voice to Israeli culture, a novel sound, and an openness to alternative sexuality. Using her diaries and rare footage, the film tells her story.

Incoming Call

Aref, Marcella, Ziv, and Lydia; answering incoming calls on the anonymous ERAN helplines. They all received extensive training to help people with emotional difficulties and participated in countless conversations. Each one of them has a conversation they will never forget.

Innocence

Innocence tells the story of young people who enlisted into the Israeli army despite feelings of alienation towards it, and against their values. Their story is told through narration based on writings found after their death during their military service.

Iron Butterflies

When a Malaysian passenger plane crashed in eastern Ukraine in July 2014, the evidence—including butterfly-shaped shrapnel found inside the pilots' bodies—pointed to Russia, which promptly denied its involvement. This is both a deep, multi-layered exposé and an extraordinary piece of cinema.

Is There Anybody Out There?

Ella Glendining was born with a disability that sometimes makes it hard for her to walk but never stops her from dancing. She has never met anyone who looks like her, and when she goes searching, she finds new ways of thinking about bodies, disabilities, functioning, and difference.

Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman

After more than four decades making films in her unique personal style, trailblazing and award-winning director Jane Campion surrenders to the camera and invites the viewers to a gorgeous (and very funny) visual journey into the world of ideas and imaginings that shaped her unique cinematic language.

Joan Baez I Am A Noise

As she goes on tour for the last time, Joan Baez, now 82, shares her complicated life story with remarkable candor. Childhood diaries, recordings from therapy sessions, conversations with her family, and an electrifying soundtrack coalesce into an unforgettable portrait of this larger-than-life singer and activist.

Kiki

14-year-old Kiki is sentenced to juvenile prison for violence and drug offenses. His sister, Gal convinces the authorities to give him one last chance: a therapeutic trip to the desert.

Kokomo City

Four Black American trans women talk candidly about their lives as sex workers. Shot in a performative vérité format, this beautifully stylized, funny, and touchingly human film blends stories of horror, mortal peril, and personal triumph into a poignant political statement.

Kristos, the Last Child

A tiny Greek Island is home to a thousand goats and thirty humans, including one child—Kristos, the sole pupil at the local school. To continue his education, Kristos will have to leave the island, and the upcoming goodbye leaves him in turmoil despite the allure of things to come.

Labor Pains

After escaping from her abusive partner, Liron (24) discovered she was pregnant with triplets. Today she is raising her three daughters alone, and fighting the temptation to go back to their father.

Last Things

Artist-filmmaker Deborah Stratman weaves scientific discoveries, archeological findings, speculation, and philosophical theories into alternative narratives—part science, part fiction—for our universe’s past and future. None of them revolve around humans, and marvelous things happen in each one.

Lies I Told Myself

While trying to heal his parents' disintegrating relationship, the director reveals a family secret and a deep wound within him and in his relationship with his fiancée. A cinematic odyssey to discover the truth about love, lies, betrayals and everything in between.

Little Richard: I Am Everything

Little Richard, the talented boy who got kicked out from home for his sexual orientation, became a celebrated musician and cultural icon. Archive footage, interviews with giants like Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney, and lots of concert recordings capture the complexity of an artist shaped by external and internal struggles.

Love to Love You, Donna Summer

Donna Summer's millions of fans did not know the soft, vulnerable, and funny sides of the singer who revolutionized pop music with her sexy hit "Love to Love You Baby." Through personal interviews and rare home videos, Summer's daughter Brooklyn attempts to untangle the complexities of her mother's persona.

Manifesto

A collage of videos posted by Russian teenagers on social media paints a disturbing picture of growing up in a reality where bullying, cruelty, and apathy are routine, and the only way to survive is to adapt and perpetuate the cycle of violence. Winner of the IDFA Envision award.

Matter Out of Place

Award-winning filmmaker Nikolaus Geyrhalter (Our Daily Bread, Homo Sapiens) follows the vast amounts of waste humans generate, and our desperate attempts to deal with it. The striking cinematography and clever sound design result in an unsettling film steeped in a mesmerizing, alluring aesthetic.

Miúcha, the Voice of Bossa Nova

She was a star, but as a woman, she was overshadowed by men, the giants of the Bossa Nova scene. The nephew of singer and composer Miúcha uses inimitable treasures from the family archive to tell her life story: a musical fairytale that puts her back in the limelight.

Moody

Mudi lives with his mother on an otherwise uninhabited island, where, through music and dance, he can access the mysteries of the spirit world.

Mourning in Lod

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict retold through three people whose fates become inextricably linked in a vicious cycle of violence. The outpouring of love, anger, and forgiveness that follows is a ray of light that offsets a collective state of seemingly endless mourning.

Much Ado About Dying

When director Simon Chambers rushed home to tend to his dying uncle, he had no idea he would spend four wild and hilarious years by his side—years full of drama, naked dancing, Shakespeare, and other surprises. This is a story about the twilight years of a true free spirit.

My Name is Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock was known for making cameo appearances in his films. In this intimate guided tour of his greatest works, he keeps up the tradition—with his voice. Revived by director Mark Cousins, Hitchcock reveals the trade secrets that made him the most influential filmmaker in the history of cinema.

My Project X

In an attempt to understand the stamp of genius and logical madness of her stepfather, an infamous Mossad agent who hurt her family, Michal embarks on a journey with personal videos that explore America's most notorious criminals, including Charles Manson and Richard Ramirez.

Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV

More than an artist, Nam June Paik, the father of video art, was a prophet, and this subversive art and technological vision are now more relevant than ever. The film shows the life and art of a man who had no qualms about approaching sacred cows—or indeed skewering them.

Nathan-ism

Seventy years after the US military sent him to guard the top Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials, Nathan Hilu still cannot stop drawing his memories. His art is powerful, but is it authentic? Could the most dramatic events of his lifetime taken on a life of their own?

Non-Aligned: Scenes from the Labudović Reels

A first look at recently uncovered footage of the 1961 Summit Conference of Non-Aligned Countries in Belgrade opens a window into a time of political tumult, struggles for independence in Africa and Asia, meetings between Tito, Nasser, Nehru, and Third World leaders., and unfulfilled hopes for peace and equality.

Nora

Nora lives with 500 bats in a shelter she built for them and for herself, but she discovers that no place is safe from pain, loss and love.

Nurith Aviv - Woman with a Camera

For the first time, filmmaker Nurith Aviv sits down in front of the camera. As the defenses are lowered, her unique life story as the first woman cinematographer in Europe turns out to be the key to her own films.

Oasis

Twin brothers Rémi and Raphaël see their close bond put to the test when adolescence makes their congenital differences ever more visible.

Observation Diary

The film follows the observation diaries of Amit Geffen, a young bird-watcher who died at 21. By telling his story, the film explores the way we look at the world and our need to record it.

On Parole

The film follows Tysir, a 15-year-old boy released on parole from prison, and Yonatan, a social worker from the Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority, on their journey towards rehabilitation. Will they succeed against all odds?

Once Upon a School

This is the astounding story of The Midrashia, the mothership of the religious Zionism. It’s a story about an elitist educational establishment – that in its last years became a school dominated by chaos and violence.

Paradise

Northeastern Siberia is on fire. The government has left them to fend for themselves, and the inhabitants of Shologon must rally to fight The Dragon.

Patrick and the Whale

Diving beside them, he looks like a puny insect, but marine videographer Patrick Dykstra manages to form incredibly close relationships with the whales he documents. A stunningly beautiful film about the remarkable bond between one man and the world’s biggest mammals.

Personality Crisis: One Night Only

After Fran Lebowitz, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones, master filmmaker Martin Scorsese lovingly turns his camera to another New York institution: New York Dolls frontman David Johansen, capturing his wild, sharp-witted performance at an enthralling concert, and intercutting it with fascinating interviews and archive footage, of course.

Pianoforte

There is talent aplenty in The Chopin Piano Competition—THE springboard to a brilliant international career. An intimate behind-the-scenes visit reveals the human, heartwarming, and humorous side of young men and women in the tense moments on the cusp of their dreams (maybe) coming true. Naturally, the music is terrific.

Pornomelancolía

Thousands of fans follow the nudes and videos of sex influencer Lalo Santos, who also stars in a porn film in the role of Mexican revolutionary Zapata. But his success comes at a cost, as bitter loneliness and a thirst for intimacy leave Lalo trapped in perpetual melancholy.

Queen of the Deuce

Chelly Wilson was a Jew who celebrated Christmas, a lesbian who married men, and a feminist who built an empire of porn cinemas in New York. Full of wisdom, humor, and contradictions, her tumultuous character is brought to life through recollections from her family, her own recordings, and captivating animations.

Radiadio

Whether it’s held on Zoom or in person, the traditional Passover Seder is a mirror that reflects fascinating family dynamics.

Radio Propaganda

The story of immigrants from Arab countries to the Land of Israel who founded an underground radio station. The radio station operated in intelligence and political warfare against Arab countries.

Red Herring

When Kit Vincent learns he is terminally ill, he turns his camera to his parents. Little by little, their façade of English stoicism begins to fracture, revealing the emotions and humor underneath. Vincent’s relationship with his father, who starts to grow cannabis and converts to Judaism, unexpectedly strengthens.

Rosemary A.D. (After Dad)

An animated love letter from a father to his newborn daughter, who changed his life and his fears.

SALVATORE: Shoemaker of Dreams

Salvatore Ferragamo walked a long winding road from the tiny Italian village of his birth to glamorous Hollywood, where he became a sought-after shoemaker for stars and filmmakers. Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name) paints the colorful and inspiring portrait of the greatest of all Italian shoemakers.

Searching for Sugar Man

An American musician who released two failed albums in the early 1970's becomes a superstar in South Africa without ever knowing it. Two of his fans there decide to find out what happened to him, only to discover that the real story defies the imagination.

Secularism - Religion and state

Although Zionism was established as a secular movement of rebellion against religion, it never managed to break away. As Israeli identity drifts from its founders' secularism, the futuristic horror scenario of conflict between religion and state turns into actuality.

Silver's Uprising

Crime boss or fearless dissident? The biggest cyber trial in the history of Israel will determine the fate of a former ultra-orthodox kid who transformed the drug-dealing business.

Subject

People who “starred” in documentary films and series talk about what happened after millions of people had seen their most intimate moments. Was this exploitation or salvation? Questions of ethics and power dynamics intersect with powerful personal experiences, both positive and negative.

The Activist. Karl Marx

Only 11 people attended the funeral of Karl Marx in 1883. In the years to come, he changed the world. The film returns to the life story of the greatest activist of all times. The 18th film of the Hebrews-project.

The Center

The Center discovers the story and the history of Dizengoff Center, layer by layer, from the ground it was built on, to the top floor and the secrets this place withholds.

The Child Within Me

In a series of open, rare and sweepingly intimate documented meetings, Poliker, one of Israel’s musical giants, looks back at his life. His introspective, direct and honest gaze inwards is full of humor and self-acceptance.

The Colour of Ink

Jason Logan is something of an alchemist. He makes ink out of tree bark, rocks, herbs, and other natural ingredients he collects from all over the world. The film follows him and his clients—acclaimed artists with very particular preferences—and showcases the ancient traditions that inspire his work.

The Deepest Breath

Alessia Zecchini and Stephen Keenan were destined for one another: she dreamed of breaking freediving records, whereas he specialized in ensuring divers' safe return to the surface. In a film chock-full of stunning underwater photography, the two attempt to free-dive into the Blue Hole of Dahab.

The Disappearance of Shere Hite

Published in 1976, "The Hite Report" was a groundbreaking study that revolutionized the conversation about female sexuality, pleasure, orgasms, and bodily autonomy. Hite herself, a young, sharp, and provocative PhD student, became a cultural icon but soon faded from public consciousness. How did this happen, and why?

The Eternal Memory

Augusto Góngora, one of Chile’s top political commentators, dedicated his life to preserving the memory of the atrocities committed by Pinochet’s regime. Remarkably, with Alzheimer's disease slowly erasing his memory and personality, a new kind of intimacy emerges between him and his wife—one marked by tenderness and compassion.

The Future Tense

After thirty years of living and working in London, the filmmakers are wondering if it’s time to return home, to Ireland. Oscillating between times and places (physical and virtual), the film explores concepts like home, belonging, and otherness in their political context and the context of one complicated family history.

The Gospel According to Alain

Alain left the family and returned after a decade. By getting closer to the grandpa she never had, the filmmaker asks him to look at the one who was left behind.

The Gun

Shaya is married to Moriah and father to Maayan. He carries a handgun everywhere. Shaya embarks on a journey to discover the possible origins of his fears after suffering post-trauma in the IDF.

The Klezmer Project

A wedding cameraman and a clarinet player fall in love at a Jewish wedding in Argentina and travel to Eastern Europe in search of remnants of Yiddish and klezmer culture. Full of music and witticisms, this romantic film explores the historical, social, and political place of language, culture, and music.

The Last Rider

Greg LeMond, the first American Tour de France winner, was critically injured in an accident but recovered and raced again in 1989, helped by his unwavering determination and loving family. Packed with stunning cycling footage, this thrilling film reveals the drama, betrayals, and intrigue in this elegant sport.

The Last Seagull

After years of living as a “seagull”—a male escort for wealthy lady tourists—58-year-old Ivan yearns for love, a home, and stability. His clumsy attempts to find a wife are intertwined with efforts to reconcile with his son, a newly-minted father who lives in war-torn Ukraine.

The Waiting

A beautiful species of frogs disappeared abruptly from the forests of Costa Rica. This brilliantly animated film follows the attempt to solve the mystery.

Theatre Of Violence

Dominic Ongwen was only nine when he was abducted by the LRA, a guerrilla organization that committed atrocities in northern Uganda. Now, the (polite and articulate) International Criminal Court in The Hague must decide: is he liable for the crimes he committed, or does the brainwashing absolve him of responsibility?

To Kill A Tiger

When his 13-year-old daughter was raped, Ranjit, an uneducated Indian farmer, set out on an unprecedented fight for justice against the authorities, his community, and tradition. The film opens a rare window into the world of a man whose love for his daughter transformed him into a hero.

Turn Every Page

These two American literary giants have worked together for almost half a century: Robert Caro—the Pulitzer Prize-winning political journalist and author, and Bob Gottlieb, the brilliant editor. In a film brimming with humor, wisdom, and intimate insight, Gottlieb’s daughter dives into the inner workings of their relationship.

Two Hours a Day

A mysterious illness sends Maya to the hospital during pregnancy. Between medical checkups, phone calls from her partner and cellular meditations are intertwined with digital hallucinations.

Tzipora And Rachel Are Not Dead

After 30 years of failed efforts, Tahel finally persuades her younger sister Tzipora to leave Abarbanel Psychiatric Hospital and move in with her. A 16-year documentation of a struggle with the existence of a raw, unspeakable traumatic excess.

Vishniac

Roman Vishniac, a researcher and celebrated nature photographer, captured iconic images of life in Europe’s Jewish communities shortly before the Holocaust, unaware of the fate that awaited them. His life story is told by his daughter and grandchildren and accompanied by many of his beautiful and tragically heartwarming stills.

Wedding Night

The First Night is an intimate film that takes us on a journey, capturing the time when ultra-Orthodox couples who have lived in complete separation from the opposite sex until marriage connect, marry and become husband and wife.

Where the Sun Always Shines

The rising ocean threatens to swallow up a British seaside town, but the locals choose nostalgia, humor, and denial.

While We Watched

Much like elsewhere, freedom of the press in India is gravely threatened, but acclaimed Indian journalist Ravish Kumar refuses to give up. A film that follows him for two difficult years reveals his relentless fight against fake news, ratings, sedition, and propaganda, and for courageous, reliable, and free journalism.

Will You Look at Me

A touching conversation between a young Chinese man and his mother, who struggles to accept his sexuality.

Yossi Sarid

For 50 weeks and five days, the Minister of Education, Yossi Sarid, fought to demand that Shas’ education budget be covered, a struggle that concealed the story of the lifelong oppositionist who refused to compromise despite the consequences.

Israeli Competition

International Competition

Beyond the Screen Competition

Depth of Field Competition

Panorama

Arts and Culture

Music

Masters

Shorts Competition

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