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
Producers: Maya Fischer, Roi Kurland, Gal Greenspan
Co Producers: Aurélien Bodinaux, Rhian Vialva
Director of photography: Itay Marom
Editor: Neta Dvorkis
Executive Producers: Moshe Edery, Ori Eisen
Co Producer: Roni Shamiss
Associate Producers: Adi Bar Yossef,
Rena Cohen Kopelman
Script Editor: Ayelet Menahemi
Casting Director: Emmanuelle Mayer
Original Music: Karni Postel
Supervising Sound Editor: Shahaf Wagshall
Sound Design: Julien Mizac
Sound Mix: Jean-François Levillain
Art Director: Hefi Bohem
Costume Design: Rachel Ben Dahan
Make Up Artist: Orly Ronen
Look Development: Tomer Bahat
Color Grader: Gregor Pfüller
Post Production Supervisors: Ayelet Michaeli Walk,
Shiran Yalovich Sheleg
Head of Development: Yael Benaya, Gili Zolty
Production companies: Green Productions (Israel) Neon Rouge (Belgium)
CAST
Dana Ivgy
Joanna Said
Amal Murkus
Ruth Landau
Yulia Tagil
Marlene Bajali
Aseel Farhat
Orit Samuel
Liora Levi
Khawlah Hag Debsy
Synopsis
A young filmmaker teaching a workshop in a community center puts cameras into the hands of eight women, Arab and Jewish, and asks them to film their lives.
As they share their footage, barriers are broken down, beliefs are challenged, and the women learn more about each other... and themselves.
Winner of five Ophir Awards including Best Picture and Best Director and Israel’s Official Submission to the 95th Academy Awards.
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
Weil Bloch Award for 2021 - Best Film
Warsaw IFF 2021 - Jury Special Mention & NETPAC Award
FICER 2021 - Audience Award
Toronto Jewish Film Festival 2022 - Micki Moore Award
Warsaw jewish film festival 2022 - Camera Of David for the Best Feature Film
Nice Israël Film Festival 2022 - Mimosa d'or Award
Israeli Academy Awards - The Ophir Awards
1. Best Film- Green Productions
2. Best Director - Orit Fouks Rotem
3. Best Supporting Actress - Joanne Said
4. Best Costume Design - Rachel Ben Dahan
5. Best Casting - Emmanuelle Mayer