Reflections on IdentityThe programme Reflections on Identity is a chronologically structured search for the meaning of identity. While religious, ethnic, and territorial belonging determine identity for some, others look to the ever-changing socio-cultural situation to define their sense of identity.
The documentary footage of the historic short film «Palestine» from 1920 takes the perspective of Christian pilgrims on their journey to the «Promised Land», where Abraham – the patriarch of Judaism and prophet of Christianity and Islam – went at the behest of God. It is a fertile land steeped in history, where various communities – Arabs, Jews, Bedouins – live side-by-side.
The title «Rothschild 16» of Noam Israel’s film refers to the address where Ben Gurion declared the independence and founding of the state of Israel on 14 May 1948 – an event that signified salvation to some, and a disaster, the «Nakba», for others. The inconspicuous building in the heart of Tel Aviv is a run-down museum today. The film follows tour guides who take visitors through the building, each telling the history in their own way, ascribing divergent meanings to it. With her observation, the director paints a multifaceted picture of the culture of commemoration.
On 11 April 1961, thirteen years after the founding of the state, the Eichmann trial began in Jerusalem. Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann was convicted of crimes against the Jewish people, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, sentenced to death, and executed on 31 May 1962. The following night, a group of police officers scattered his ashes in the Mediterranean, outside of Israeli territory. Dani Gal’s film «Nacht und Nebel» is based on an interview with Holocaust survivor Michael Goldmann, who was one of the police officers on board the ship. Mixing reenactment and fiction, the formally rigorous film conveys the significance of this event and its historic context.
In her essay film «One of Us Now», Maya Steinberg visits Meron's holy sites in search of an explanation for her father’s newfound religiosity. Her research is a personal and authentic exploration of Judaism between secularity and orthodoxy, tradition and modernity.
In «My Little Country», director Yael Danon presents a fitting metaphor for the issue of Israeli identity: the film centres on Tanja, an immigrant from Moldova, who works as a model builder at the miniature park Mini Israel. As she takes care of the park’s buildings, she reflects on her own sense of belonging as an Israeli citizen.
Curated by John Canciani and Gabriela Seidel-Hollaender
Mit freundlicher Unterstützung von: 
