In celebration of Israeli culture, the Israel Film Festival returns for its 24th edition, featuring five critically acclaimed titles. Kicking off this year’s fest is opening film Farewell Party, a story set in a retirement home about a group of friends who build a euthanasia machine to help their terminally ill friend. What they don’t realise is the repercussions of their actions, as rumours of their device grow, and they find themselves facing a life and death dilemma.
Next up, Fire Birds – a murder mystery that unfolds when an 80-year-old man’s body is discovered with three stab wounds to his chest and a number tattooed on his forearm.
Also on the line-up is award-winning documentary Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?. It explores the complicated relationships between a gay man and his religious Israeli family, and all the fears and prejudices that surface when he tells them he has contracted HIV.
If you’re up for a poignant love story, watch Vice Versa, a tale about the blossoming yet complex relationship between a religious Yeshiva scholar and a cancer patient. Otherwise, there’s the family drama, Encirclements. Revolving around a 13-year-old who wins the honour of carrying the Torah scroll during the traditional Simhat Torah celebrations, this film delves into the boy’s relationship with his distant father.
The 24th Israel Film Festival goes from Sept 22-25, various times at The Projector, #05-00 Golden Mile Tower, 6001 Beach Rd. $11-$13.
