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08-9467890
10.2.25
Monday
20:00

Body is the only language | Fatemeh Ekhtesari, Inbal Oshman & Yannets Levi

The Iranian poet and author in exile, Fatemeh Ekhtesari, will be hosted at the Weizmann Institute of Science. 

In 2015, Ekhtesari was sentenced to 11.5 years in prison and 99 lashes after being accused of censorship violations in her poetry. She managed to escape Iran and now resides in Norway. Ekhtesari has published ten books, including poetry collections, short stories, and multi-genre works. Her poems have been translated into various languages and have even been adapted into musical pieces.


She is visiting Israel to work on a dance and poetry project in collaboration with Israeli choreographer Inbal Oshman.
The evening will feature a discussion of her poetry, a glimpse into a creative process in progress, and a joint conversation with Ekhtesari, Oshman, and author Yannets Levi, who serves as the translator and dramaturge for the project. 

The conversation will delve into topics such as modern Persian poetry, the spirit of freedom, life under overt and covert censorship, experiences of migration, alienation and belonging, and the connection between poetry and dance. Additionally, there will be a live demonstration from the ongoing creative process.
 

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5.6
Friday
11:00

Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers

200 years after its opening and a century after acquiring its first Van Gogh works, the National Gallery, London is held the UK’s biggest ever Van Gogh exhibition. Van Gogh is not only one of the most beloved artists of all time, but perhaps the most misunderstood.


This film is a chance to reexamine and better understand this iconic artist. Focusing on his unique creative process, Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers explores the artist’s years in the south of France, where he revolutionised his style. Van Gogh became consumed with a passion for storytelling in his art, turning the world around him into vibrant, idealised spaces and symbolic characters.


Poets and lovers filled his imagination; everything he did in the south of France served this new obsession. In part, this is what caused his notorious breakdown, but it didn’t hold back his creativity as he created masterpiece after masterpiece. Explore one of art history’s most pivotal periods in this once-in-a-century show. The film was made in close collaboration with the National Gallery.


Director: David Bickerstaff. UK 2024 | 92 minutes | English | Hebrew subtitles
 
8.6
Monday
20:00

A Chance to be Saved - A Journey into the Light and Darkness of Eviatar Banai | Doron Tsabari

Eviatar Banai is an artist who has reached an unparalleled, transcendent status in Israeli culture, articulating the heartbeat and yearnings of the nation. Banai writes and sings about himself, yet a vast public of Israelis adults and youth, religious and secular, Ashkenazi and Mizrahi find their own reflections within his music. They have turned his songs into anthems and prayers, finding solace and profound meaning in them.

 

In his personal life, Banai embodies a dual identity, living an internal conflict: In his "Jewish" identity, he is a devout ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) man who strictly observes religious commandments and studies in a Yeshiva for six hours every day. In his "Israeli" identity, he is a rock star who sells out arenas, drawing a broad and fiercely loyal audience. He is a rock star with a kippah, tzitzit, and a guitar, who seeks to open the gates of heaven through his music and sanctify God's name (Kiddush Hashem) on stage.

 

"A Chance to Be Saved" is a monumental television series filmed over the course of 11 years, encompassing an unprecedented 240 days of shooting.

Watching the series is a time-traveling experience, navigating the peaks and abysses of Eviatar's life, alongside an intimate journey into his consciousness. It raises profound questions that resonate in every person's life, especially in these times: What constitutes a life of value and meaning? What is true love? By what values should we raise our children? How does one grow from shattered pieces? How do we find light within the darkness? How do we transmute pain into compassion?


"A Chance to Be Saved" is a sweeping, epic television series about creation, inspiration, and faith. It is the journey of a man who lost his way, only to find his God and the love of his life in the heart of darkness.

 

Doron Tsabari (62) is a documentary film and television director, a social activist, and a Professor of Film and Television at the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir College.

Tsabari has directed 11 documentary films and series and has won a record-breaking 6 Best Director awards from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television (the "Israeli Oscars"). Five of the films and series he created are included in the Israeli Ministry of Education's mandatory curriculum for matriculation exams in cinema and media studies.

Among the notable films and series Tsabari has directed: Dricks' Brother (with Ori Inbar), Underdog (with Rino Zror), Shuli's Guy, The King of Rating, A Guide to the Revolution, Mechubarot (Connected - Women), Mechubarim (Connected - Men), The Silver Platter, and more.

 

The series will be screened in sequence:

Thursday, March 5th at 19:00, Episodes 1-3 (190 minutes, with a break between episodes 2 and 3).

Friday, March 6th at 11:00, Episode 4, followed by a conversation with the series creator, Doron Tsabari (Screening: 65 min | Conversation: 45 min).

 

Click here for tickets to both screenings: ₪ 60 | Institute employees: ₪ 50