Many of us probably have little knowledge of Israeli Cinema.  In this year's City to City Programme, we have a chance to learn more about its history via A History of Israeli Cinema Parts 1 and 2 by Raphaël Nadjari.

Part 1 covers films from 1932 to 1978.  Israeli Cinema began quite early in the 20th century with works that emphasized the idea of Zionism.  Then WWII happened and no films were made.  After 1948, fictional films became more prominent in which the Jewish male character becomes the "hero."  As time progresses, more filmmakers move away from making film that support Zionism and began making films that focused more on the indvidual experience.  Some of these filmmakers include Efraim Kishon, Menachem Golan and later on, Uri Zohar.

Nadjari uses interviews with film scholars, critics, produces, actors and filmmakers to reconstruct this history.   The archival footage helps us in learning more about Israeli culture; its many incarnations and of course, its rich cinematic history.

For those of you who enjoy a history lesson, this film will screen one more time on Sept. 16th.  For further information visit TIFF's website.