Hong Kong, October 29, 2015: The Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival prepares to open its 16th Festival at the Asia Society on November 14, 2015, with 25 word class films, most of which are Asian premieres. With a chosen theme of 'Resilience', many films showcase strong protagonists who take fate into their own hands, face adversity and overcome challenges.
'This year we have an exciting lineup of quality films with a particularly strong selection from Israel, who are excelling in the international film market. With a mix of satire, suspense, the serious and the surprising, we have chosen exceptional films to suit every taste.We hope our viewers will be moved by our theme of
Resilience, as the ability to turn misfortune into success is something we can all aspire to.We are delighted to be partnering once again with the
Asia Society and we hope to reach as diverse an audience as possible', said Debby Amias, HKJFF Chair.
More than 10 films produced in Israel reveal life beyond the conflict, emphasizing positive elements of Israeli society not usually highlighted in the media, and portraying the resilience of those who strive to achieve the extraordinary under difficult circumstances. These include
Rock in the Red Zone, which delves into a war-torn city with a prolific rock music scene;
Voice of Peace, which tells the story of a pirate radio station dedicated to peace and co-existence; and
Silicon Wadi, which offers an intimate portrait of Israel as 'high-tech nation'.
There will also be a special screen-a-thon of the entire first season of
Fauda, a successful Israeli TV drama that offers a nuanced portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is particularly relevant in light of recent events in the region. The twelve episodes will be shown over 2 nights, with middle-eastern snacks on offer.
This year's festival also shines the spotlight on women, with several strong female characters portrayed on screen.
Brave Miss World chronicles a former Miss World's journey from rape victim to globe-trotting victim's advocate, and is screened in partnership with Amnesty International and the Jewish Women's Association of Hong Kong. Oscar-winning documentary
The Lady in Number 6 is the uplifting story of how music saved the life of a Holocaust survivor Alice Herz Sommmer, and
The Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, is a moving story of one woman's fight to obtain a divorce from an uncompromising husband.
A high proportion of films have strong females behind the camera. Films this year with female directors include
Brave Miss World,
Crossing the Line,
The Farewell Party,
Kinderlekh,
My Mayim,
Regina, and
Rock in the Red Zone.
The festival program also includes two impressive women who are flying to HK to attend the festival. Osnat Sharon from
Yad L'isha, an organisation in Israel for wives refused a divorce by their husbands, will participate in a Q&A session after the screening of
The Gett, on November 19, and Israeli TV personality and entrepreneur Galia Albin will be present at the screening of her short film
My Mayim the same evening.
As always, the Festival is taking measures to reach out to local communities, and to improve access to the wealth of films on view. Three films are screened with Chinese subtitles:
Brave Miss World;
Kinderlekh, a free entry film that tells a tragic episode of the Holocaust through the eyes of children today; and the opening night drama
Sabena Hijacking - My Version, a docudrama which recalls a real life episode that riveted the Israeli public.
In addition, to further widen access to our films and to encourage new audiences,
Kinderlekh and
Forgers of History are to be screened in local and international schools and universities throughout Hong Kong, supported by the
Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre.
