Jewish Press of Pinellas County

A filmography of Israeli cinema





 

 

Awards season is here, which means there’s no better time to talk about Israel’s movie industry. Growing up, I used to watch all kind of movies with my family. I admit, most of them were in English, but when it came to Israeli movies I remember always watching the old ones, from the ’60s and ’70s. They were cult movies that kids and adults alike quote and re-act til this day.

Movies have been filmed in the Land of Israel from the early days of the cinema, in the 20th century, but the films that were created back then were rare, and generally in a quality that did not match the films imported from abroad. The industry focused particularly on the production of propaganda films and news journals.

The 1950s brought about a certain development. Israeli film studios were established as “Geva Films” and “Film Studios in Israel” in Herzliya and also a number of theater films were created. In 1954, the Law for the Encouragement of Israeli Film was passed and thus began the era of filmography in Israel, though it did take some time. By the end of the 1950s, Israeli cinema was still in embryonic stages, and it had not yet succeeded in creating distinct characteristics, a language of its own, or even a real industry.

“Foxtrot”, a controversial film that took multiple Ophir Awards in Israel including Best Picture, was on the short list for Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Film, but not make the final cut for the 2018 awards.

“Foxtrot”, a controversial film that took multiple Ophir Awards in Israel including Best Picture, was on the short list for Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Film, but not make the final cut for the 2018 awards.

Israeli cinema gained its momentum in the 1960s. During this period, three commercial filmmakers began operating: Menahem Golan, Ephraim Kishon and Uri Zohar. The first “Bourekas film,” Salah Shabati, was produced in 1964, and even won the Golden Globes for best film. Bourekas film is a term used to describe a certain genre of popular Israeli made movies. Its literal translation is actually a name of a type of food originated in Turkey (baked filled pastries made of a thin flaky dough known as phyllo, filled with cheese or mashed potatoes). These films were successful at the box office but had bad reviews from the critics. They were mostly popular comedies or emotional melodramas. The main theme in most of the bourekas films was a clash between different classes and committees, mainly on a romantic background.

In the first decade of the 21st century, an era of blossoming in Israeli cinema began, both in documentary and fiction. Reviews are mostly praiseworthy, and a number of Israeli films have been very successful and distributed worldwide. This success is attributed to the marked improvement in the quality of the films, to the growing distance from political creativity, and especially to the funds that have begun to flow into the film industry from the government and television companies. Commercial television channels were required to finance the production of films in exchange for future broadcast rights.

Like the Oscars in the U.S. Israel has the “Ophir awards,” given by the Israeli Academy of Film and Television for an outstanding cinematic work. The prize is named after Israeli filmmaker Shaike Ophir and has been awarded annually since 1990.

The award ceremony takes place every year at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center in September, about four months before the announcement of the American did Academy Award nominations. The winner of every year’s film award is sent as an optional candidate for the State of Israel in the foreign film category at the Oscars. Of those selections, only 12 movies representing Israel have been nominated for an Oscar, none of them won.

From the beginning of the 1950s until today, a lively, high-quality, thriving film industry has developed in Israel. The film industry has produced hundreds of films in a variety of styles and genres including drama, comedies, documentaries and short films. The industry itself has experienced ups and downs, but for many years, and especially in recent years, Israeli cinema has been able to attract hundreds of thousands of viewers to the cinemas and represent Israel with respect in competition and festivals around the world.

Yael Mor’s yearlong visit to the community is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Pinellas and Pasco Counties. She can be reached at (727) 530-3223 or by email at yael@jewishpinellas.org


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