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The Dead of Jaffa

  • Israel
  • Feature
  • 2019
  • 96 min.
  • Director(s): Ram Loevy
  • Producer(s): Itai Tamir

Synopsis

Three children from the West Bank are smuggled into Israel, arriving at the doorstep of George and Rita’s house in Jaffa. Their mother is dead, and their father has been sentenced for life. As Israeli Palestinians, George is afraid that hiding illegal aliens will endanger Rita and himself, while Rita believes the arrival of these children could give meaning to her life. Nearby, a foreign film is being shot. Jerry, an English director, is making a movie about his parents’ love affair in 1947, when they served in the British army in Palestine. George is invited to play a part. When the two stories intertwine, tensions erupt.

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Credits

Director(s)

Ram Loevy

Producer(s)

Itai Tamir

Co-Producer(s)

Tony Copti, Ami Livne, Yair Rotlevi, Ligad Rotlevy, Zipora Loevy, Gabriela Gutman, Danny Barnea, Ram Loevy

Script

Gilad Evron, Ala Hlehel

Cinematography

Yoram Millo

Editor

Neta Braun

Original Music

Ran Bagno

Cast

Yussuf Abu Warda, Ruba Bilal-Asfour, Jonny Phillips, Salim Daw, Maya Flamm, Jihad Babay, Maysa Daw, Alon Dahan, Ori Yaniv, Bilal Babai, Coral Zakkak, Khaulah Al Haj Dibsi

Original Language

Hebrew, Arabic, English

Subtitles

English

Sound Design

Michael Goorevich

Festival Highlights

  • WINNER

    Best Costume Design Award
    "Ophir Awards"- Israel Film Academy
    2020
  • Honorable Mention

    FriCine - Festival Internacional de Cinema Socioambiental de Nova Friburgo
    2021

FriCine - Festival Internacional de Cinema Socioambiental de Nova Friburgo, Brazil, Competition, 2021

Golden Apricot Int' Film Festival, Armenia, 2020

Mosaic World Film Festival, USA, 2020

Kolnoa CZ Film Festival, Czech Republic, 2020

Milano Jewish Film Festival, Italy, 2020

New Jersey Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2020

Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Canada, 2020

UK Jewish Film Festival, UK, 2020

Zurich Yesh Film Festival, Switzerland, 2020

Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2020

San Diego Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2020

DOK.fest Munich, Germany, 2020

Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA, 2020

Jerusalem International Film Festival, Israel, Feature Competition, 2019

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Reviews

  • "”The Dead of Jaffa” Is a cinematic masterpiece, weaving together Israeli and Palestinian realities, memories real and imagined, usable past and an entirely untenable present"
    - Olga Gershenson, Professor of Judaic and Middle Eastern Studies & Film Studies, University of Massachusetts
  • ""You cannot forget the picture that seals the film of Levy and Evron, which at least left me suffocating in my throat. This film is another testament to Levy's being one of the human, direct and decent voices in television work in Israel, and from now on, how worthy and strange it is to be noted - also in cinema"."
    - Shmulik Duvdevani, YNET
  • ""Levy, whose gaze is as sharp as ever, is educated to wrap up the scream that emerges from the film gently""
    - Uri Klein, Haaretz
  • ""Ram Levy's film, which follows a Jaffa couple who bring home three children from the West Bank, captures the heart and anoints politics with humanism"."
    - Yael Shub, Time Out