Promises in Europe and Europe in Promises

Europe in Israel and Israel in Europe: two films that examine the reciprocal relationship between the “Old World” and Israel. Fragments of this difficult relationship continually reconstitute themselves. The festival is introduced by Daniel Barenboim, general music director of the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin and founder of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the only Arab-Israeli ensemble of young musicians. Guests: Teresa de Pelegri, Dominic Harari.

At 19h: Exhibition preview, from 24h Aftershowparty at RAW, Gabriel-Max-Str. 3, Berlin-Friedrichshain.

The following artists and film directors will be present:

Maayan Amir, Tel Aviv

Yael Bartana, Holland/Israel

Guy Ben Ner, New York

Sergio Edelsztein, Tel Aviv

Dominic Harari, Madrid

Sharone Lifschitz, London

Teresa de Pelegri, Madrid

Nira Pereg, Germany/Israel

Ruti Sela, Israel

Tanya Ury, Germany

The Stage

Documentary by Peter Mostovoy, Israel 2005, 54 min, English subtitles

Only a few of the countless theatre performers and circus artists who have emigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union during the past few years have succeeded in returning to the stage. This film documents a cabaret production: from auditions, which many immigrants attend full of hope, to the rehearsals and even the show itself - the fulfilment of their dreams.

Peter Mostovoy, film director and producer. He was born in Russia and graduated from the Russian Film Academy (Moscow) in 1965. He has made two feature films and over thirty documentaries.Among his credits publicized throughout the world are films such as “Black Terror” (co-production USSR, USA, Japan & Germany) about the most famous political murders of the 20th century. His film about Jewish fates, “One of the Many Wandering Stars”, was awarded a prize by the Protestant Film Center, a large scale Christian organization; an uncommon event.By invitation of the Polish Government he directed the film “Master Bielkovsky” at the Warsaw Film Studio. He is an award winner at numerous International Film Festivals.

Alles was ich an euch liebe

Feature film by Teresa de Pelegri and Dominic Harari Spain/Argentina/Portugal/Great Britain 2004, 89 min, German subtitles

One Friday evening in Madrid, Leni introduces her fiancé Rafi to her family. Rafi is a Palestinian. Nobody in her Jewish family is delighted at the news. They are, to be sure, liberal and certainly not racist, but does he really have to be a Palestinian? Whilst Rafi somehow tries to manage somehow with the overbearing mother, the blind grandfather, who still raves on about the war of independence, the nymphomaniac sister, and the brother (a religious convert), he accidentally drops a pot of frozen soup out of the window, killing a passer-by - possibly Leni’s father. A fast-moving farce based on the principle: good comedies always have a tragic background.

Teresa de Pelegri, journalist, born in Barcelona in 1968. During her studies, Teresa de Pelegri chose to specialise in photography and started to make her first short films. Dominic Harari was born in London in 1965. He was a Fulbright student at Cambridge University. De Pelegri and Harari first met in New York when they were studying for their MAs under Emir Kusturica. Since then, they have collaborated successfully as writer-directors. They have received the Spanish Goya Award several times for their work. Their first joint project, the short film Roig (Red, 1994), has been shown at several international film festivals, among them the Sundance Festival and the Venice Biennale. Roig was followed by the short films and TV films Gusto (Taste, 1996), Novios (Sweethearts, 1999) und Catch her (2000). In 2004 they presented their first feature film, the satirical comedy Seres Queridos (Only Human), at the Locarno Film Festival. It won prizes in Monte Carlo and in Jerusalem. The film will be released in Germany on 1 December 2005 under the title Alles was ich an Euch liebe. The two partners are currently working on a two-part television production on the Catalonian bandit Joan de Serrallonga.