2007 | Color | 78 min In Israel?s occupied territories, thousands of Palestinians work illegally as construction laborers. After an arduous and dangerous journey, loaded with blankets and bags, they cross the hills to the places where they can find employment. At night they sleep on the hillcrests in improvised huts and coffin-like sleeping cubicles, a stark contrast to the luxury apartment complexes they build by day. But they have made homes for themselves, complete with cozy pillows and even power generated by batteries they have scraped together. In 9 Star Hotel, the filmmakers follow Ahmed and Muhammad, one a merry collector of found objects, the other a philosophical criticaster of the Palestinian character (?We think backward. We never think forward.?). Together, they share food, belongings and stories, and live under the constant threat of getting arrested - police, soldiers, and the secret service are all tirelessly on the alert for illegal workers. Through raw images and handheld camera work, this disconcerting yet touching film documents friendship, nostalgia, and the urge to survive Country: Israel; Direction: Haar; Ido Production: Kowarsk; Elinor, Kowarsky; Edna Photography: Haa; Ido Sound: Toren; Gil Participation year at FICM: 2007
2007 | Color | 78 min In Israel?s occupied territories, thousands of Palestinians work illegally as construction laborers. After an arduous and dangerous journey, loaded with blankets and bags, they cross the hills to the places where they can find employment. At night they sleep on the hillcrests in improvised huts and coffin-like sleeping cubicles, a stark contrast to the luxury apartment complexes they build by day. But they have made homes for themselves, complete with cozy pillows and even power generated by batteries they have scraped together. In 9 Star Hotel, the filmmakers follow Ahmed and Muhammad, one a merry collector of found objects, the other a philosophical criticaster of the Palestinian character (?We think backward. We never think forward.?). Together, they share food, belongings and stories, and live under the constant threat of getting arrested - police, soldiers, and the secret service are all tirelessly on the alert for illegal workers. Through raw images and handheld camera work, this disconcerting yet touching film documents friendship, nostalgia, and the urge to survive Country: Israel; Direction: Haar; Ido Production: Kowarsk; Elinor, Kowarsky; Edna Photography: Haa; Ido Sound: Toren; Gil Participation year at FICM: 2007
If I Were Fire Two young lovers wander through an abandoned countryside, where reality is distorted and the ruins of a long-gone village give glimpses of the past. The presence of a mysterious horseman transforms the bucolic landscape into a nightmare. See More
Lives on the Border Lives on the border portrays the tragic consequences of an unfair sentence delivered by the U.S. criminal justice system. Through several interconnected life stories, we'll discover what Rosa Estela Olvera, a Mexican woman wrongfully convicted in the U.S. (My Life Inside 2007), endures in prison: a psycho-emotional exploration of the loneliness of confinement; and the long and arduous battle to win back her family and obtain justice. See More
40 + Divorced, childless and single, Luz visits her local healer who prescribes a scandalous remedy to unburden her soul. As Luz embarks on a sensual journey of self-discovery, she steps into her power realizing that fulfillment doesn't require a traditional path. See More
Stellan Skarsgård to Present Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value at the 23rd FICM 10 · 03 · 25 Juliette Binoche to Receive the Award for Artistic Excellence at the 23rd FICM 10 · 02 · 25 Cherien Dabis to Present ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU at the 23rd FICM 10 · 01 · 25 Charlie Kaufman will present his short film HOW TO SHOOT A GHOST at the 23rd FICM 09 · 30 · 25
