SPECIAL PROJECTS
Cinema Sabaya

(Cinema Sabaya)
95 mins
Year of Production: 2021
Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles
Written and directed by Orit Fouks Rotem
CREW
Written and Directed by: Orit Fouks Rotem
Produced by: Gal Greenspan, Roi Kurland, Maya Fischer,
Co-Producers: Aurélien Bodinaux, Rhian Vialva
Associate Producers: Roni Shamiss, Adi Bar Yossef
Director of Photography: Itay Marom
Editor: Neta Dvorkis
Casting Director: Emmanuelle Mayer
Production designer: Hefi Bohem
Assistant Director: Shay Rylski
Sound Engineer: Guilhem Donzel – GDZ'L Sound
Art Director: Hefi Bohem
Costume Designer: Rachel Ben Dahan
Hair and Make-Up: Orly Ronen
Original Music: Karni Postel
Supervising Sound Editor: Shahaf Wagshall
Sound design: Julien Mizac
Re-recording Mixer: Jean-François Levillain
Look Development: Tomer Bahat
Color Grader: Gregor Pfüller
Post Production Supervisors: Ayelet Michaeli Walk, Shiran Yalovich Sheleg
Development Producers: Yael Benaya, Gili Zloty
Line Producer: Thomas Alfandari
Supported by:
The Israeli Film Fund, Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel - Wallonia-Brussels Federation, The New Israeli Film and Television Fund NFCT, Mifal Ha'Pais, Other Israel, Weill Bloch Foundation Prize, Haifa Film Festival – Work in Progress Prize
CAST
Liora Levi
Aseel Farhat
Orit Samuel
Marlene Bajali
Yulia Tagil
Ruth Landau
Amal Murkus
Joanna Said
Dana Ivgy
Mika Aharon
Jihad Babai
Mochammad Bilal
Khalil Borak
Omima Borak
Tevesh Eliahu
Alexandra Granin
Emily Granin
Marina Turenko
Yariv Zadok
Jacob Zinai
Synopsis
Nine women, Arab and Jewish, take part in a video workshop hosted by Rona, a young filmmaker. With each footage shot by the women, the group dynamic forces them to challenge their beliefs as they get to know each other.
Director's Biography
Orit was born in Israel in 1983. She graduated from the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel School with honors in 2012, winning her class’ ‘Promising Director’ Award. Her diploma film "Staring Match" was screened in festivals all over the world, including: San Sebastian, Montreal, Munich and won the Grand Prix award at the Hangzhao Festival in China, Best Screenplay Award at Tel Aviv Student Film Festival, and an Honorable Mention at the Jerusalem Film Festival. After graduating, Orit co-directed a documentary series for the Israeli Channel YES Doco; worked as a film facilitator and director for Israeli NGO, making films with at-risk youth; worked as a filmmaking teacher of groups of women in Acres and Givat Haviva. She also conducted research for a documentary by the Oscar-award-winning director Alex Gibney, and wrote and directed two short fiction films – "You Remain Silent", that was a part of the Abraham Heffner tribute "Voice Over" and premiered in Sarajevo and Jerusalem Film Festival 2018 and The MOMA, and "Veil" that that was selected to various festivals around the world including The Oslo Short Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival and Brussels Short Film Festival. Cinema Sabaya is Orit’s debut feature film.
Filmography
2012 - Staring Match (Drama, 20 min) – the film was screened in festivals all over the world, including: San Sebastian, Montreal, Munich and won the Grand Prix award at the Hangzhao Festival in China, Best Screenplay Award at Tel Aviv Student Film Festival, and an Honorable Mention at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
2018 - You Remain Silent (Drama, 10 min) – The short was part of the Abraham Heffner tribute film, "Voice Over" and premiered in Sarajevo and Jerusalem Film Festival 2018 and the MOMA.
2019 – Veil (Drama, 20 min) – Selected to The Oslo Short Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival, Brussels Short Film Festival and various other festivals around the world. The film was also nominated to an Israeli Academy award.
Festivals
The Jerusalem Film Festival 2021 – Winner of Best Israeli Debut and Audience Award