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Cinema Sabaya

2022
NR
1h 31m
Drama

Eight women, Arab and Jewish, take part in a video workshop hosted by Rona, young filmmaker. With each camera take, the group dynamic forces the women to challenge their beliefs as they get to know one other.

Release Date

6/13/2023 (TVOD)

01 Sep, 2022 | Theatrical Limited (4 locations)

Other Key Dates

May 18, 2022 - Cannes Film Festival Premiere

May 19, 2022 - London Premiere

Watch Trailer

Director & Top Cast

Orit Fouks Rotem
Director

Liora Levi

Aseel Farhat

Orit Samuel

Summaries

Plot Summary

A group of Arab and Jewish women attend a video workshop at a small town community center run by
Rona, a young filmmaker from Tel Aviv, who teaches them to document their lives.
As each student shares footage from her home life with the others, their beliefs and preconceptions are
challenged and barriers are broken down.
The group comes together as mothers, daughters, wives, and women living in a world designed to keep
them apart, forming an empowering and lasting bond as they learn more about each other… and
themselves.
Inspired by writer/director Orit Fouks Rotem’s own experiences as a teacher, Cinema Sabaya presents
a deft and heartfelt portrait of art’s capacity to unite disparate communities, moving effortlessly
between the gravity of their conversations and the genuine joy generated by this unlikely group of
friends.
Winner of five Ophir Awards including Best Picture and Best Director and Israel’s Official Submission to
the 95th Academy Awards.DIRECTOR – Orit Fouks Rotem
Orit was born in Israel in 1983. She graduated from the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel School with honors in 2012,
winning her class’ ‘Promising Director’ Award. Her diploma film “Staring Match” was screened in festivals
all over the world, including: San Sebastian, Montreal, Munich and won the Grand Prix award at the
Hangzhao Festival in China, Best Screenplay Award at Tel Aviv Student Film Festival, and an Honorable
Mention at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
After graduating, Orit co-directed a documentary series for the Israeli Channel YES Doco; worked as a
film facilitator and director for Israeli NGO, making films with at-risk youth; worked as a filmmaking
teacher of groups of women in Acres and Givat Haviva. She also conducted research for a
documentary by the Oscar-award-winning director Alex Gibney, and wrote and directed two short
fiction films – “You Remain Silent”, that was a part of the Abraham Heffner tribute “Voice Over” and
premiered in Sarajevo and Jerusalem Film Festival 2018 and The MOMA, and “Veil” that that was selected
to various festivals around the world including The Oslo Short Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival and
Brussels Short Film Festival.
Cinema Sabaya, Orit’s Debut feature film, won 5 Ophir (Israeli Film and TV Academy) Awards for Best
Picture, Best Director for Rotem, and Best Supporting Actress for Joanna Said. The film also received Best
Picture Award and audience Award at the Jerusalem International Film Festival. Cinema Sabaya is the
official Oscars® entry for Israel.

Storyline

A young filmmaker teaching a workshop in a community center puts cameras into the hands of eight women, Arab and Jewish, and asks them to film their lives. As they share their footage, barriers are broken down, beliefs are challenged, and the women learn more about each other… and themselves.

Headlines

‘Cinema Sabaya’ Review: Women Talking (and Filming) in Israel’s Excellent Osc...

SFGate
03-Jan-2023

‘Cinema Sabaya’ Review: Women Talking (and Filming) in Israel’s Excellent Osc...

New Haven Register
03-Jan-2023

Cinema Sabaya

Director & Top Cast

Orit Fouks Rotem

Liora Levi

Aseel Farhat

Orit Samuel

Summaries

Plot Summary

Storyline

Headlines

‘Cinema Sabaya’ Review: Women Talking (and Filming) in Israel’s Excellent Osc...

‘Cinema Sabaya’ Review: Women Talking (and Filming) in Israel’s Excellent Osc...

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