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Dancing in Jaffa

  • Israel, United States of America (USA)
  • Documentary
  • 2013
  • 86 min.
  • Director(s): Hilla Medalia
  • Producer(s): Diane Nabatoff, Neta Zwebner-Zaibert, Hilla Medalia

Synopsis

Renowned ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulaine takes his belief that dance can overcome political and cultural differences and applies it to 11 year old Jewish and Palestinian Israelis. What occurs is magical and transformative.

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Credits

Director(s)

Hilla Medalia

Producer(s)

Diane Nabatoff, Neta Zwebner-Zaibert, Hilla Medalia

Script

Hilla Medalia and Philip Shane

Cinematography

Daniel Kedem

Editor

Philip Shane, Bob Eisenhardt A.C.E.

Cast

Pierre Dulaine, Yvonne Marceau, Rachel Gueta, Lois Dana, Alaa Bubali, Noor Gabai

Subtitles

English, French

Sound designer

Heim Meir

Festival Highlights

  • Winner

    Best Documentary
    Ramdam International Film Festival
    2014
  • Winner

    Best Editing Award
    DocAviv
    2013
  • Winner

    Audience Award
    Festival Atmoshperes
    2014
  • Winner

    Audience Award
    Jewish Motifs Film Festival
    2014
  • Winner

    Audience Award
    Denver Jewish Film Festival
    2014

Auroville International Film Festival, India, 2015

CinemaèDanza, Italy, 2015

Seoul International Agape Film Festival, South Korea, 2014

Ramdam International Film Festival, , 2014

Luxembourg City Film Festival, Luxembourg, 2014

Jewish Motifs Film Festival, Poland, 2014

Dokufest Kosovo, Serbia, 2014

Geneva Jewish Film Festival, Switzerland, 2014

Lisbon Jewish Film Festival, Portugal, 2014

Tribeca International Film Festival, USA, 2013

Doc Edge, New Zealand, 2013

CNEX Taiwan, Taiwan, 2013

Other Israel Film Festival, USA, 2013

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2013

DocAviv International Film Festival, Israel, 2013

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Reviews

  • The climax of the kids’s ballroom competition makes up for any quibbles. If nothing else, it’s heartening to see the kids so transformed. Can dance alter a long history of hostility? Maybe. It certainly can’t do any more harm.
    Stephanie Merry, The Washington Post
  • As the winning power of dance takes over, tensions begin to thaw, the children blossoming under Dulaine’s tutelage. Despite the whiff of reality TV, only the very hard-hearted could fail to be charmed.
    Mark Kermode, The Guardian