Paradise / SHORTS WJFF: TOUCHING THE INTANGIBLE
dir. Asaf Saban, Israel, 2021, 33 min
After years living in Berlin, Ali, a young Palestinian, lands in Israel for a home visit. Following a very cold welcome at the airport, Ali decides to seek some peace and quiet on a short vacation in the desert of Sinai, Egypt. Between the local Bedouins, a group of young Israeli Jews mistake him for one of them. With the breathtaking beaches of the Sinai desert in the background, Ali is forced to reflect on his identity and a sense of belonging, before he will have to deal with the harsh return to the country he has left behind.
The movie is part of the program SHORTS WJFF: TOUCHING THE INTANGIBLE
It can be visible on the surface of the skin, hidden in the accent or rooted in the back of your mind. Between politically correct and personal responsibility, in the realm of the hectic present and the memory of the past, five films asks – is it still possible to track hints of individual voices and basic humanism?
The Inspection, dir. Caroline Brami, Frederic Bas, France, 2021, 13'
Paradise, dir. Asaf Saban, Israel, 2021, 33'
Kollegen (Good German Work), dir. Jannis Alexander Kiefer, Germany, 2020, 14'
Once Upon A Time in Israel, dir. Weronika Szyma, Poland, 2021, 11'
Please Behave, dir. Maor Zaguri, Israel, 2020, 29'