Seret Film Festival: All I Can Do

In this powerful drama, Reut, a young prosecutor, reluctantly takes on a sexual assault case hinging on the solitary testimony of Efrat—a rebellious, yet fragile victim living with her unconventional female partner. Throughout the trial, as Efrat’s resolve wanes, Reut undergoes a profound transformation, coming to understand the true essence of strength, love, and sisterhood. Featuring Ania Bukstein, one of Israel’s most acclaimed actresses, the film delves deep into the intricate lives of female attorneys in Israel, shedding light on the daunting challenges women face when seeking justice in times of crisis.

Before the film screening we will talk with film director Shiri Nevo Fridental about the controversy that arose around the Seret Film Festival, and her position as an Israeli filmmaker during Israel’s war on Gaza. Is it possible to work as an independent filmmaker when you are depending on the state financing? What happens if you are critical of this same state?

Following the screening, we ask Fridental to offer an in-depth look at the creative process behind the movie.

About the programme

This week we will screen three films made by Israeli filmmakers, selected and curated by our cinema curator. He made a selection of films from the range the Seret Film Festival offers. These films deal with social topics that we believe deserve to be spotlighted. The selected films were not produced with any funding from the Seret Film Festival. De Balie does not receive any financial means from the Seret Film Festival for showing these films.

Before the film screening, we will talk to filmmaker Shiri Nevo Fridental about the possibility of making independent art in contemporary Israel and about the lack of Palestinian perspective in the film festival.

We are convinced that these independent artists deserve a place in our programming by showing their films. De Balie bases its programming on the idea that art is an essential form of storytelling that leads to empathy, nuance and exchange of ideas. We do not believe that artists, writers or filmmakers should be cancelled solely based on their country of origin, and that boycotting culture results in losses that are greater than the gains. We program artists because they can shed light on many different sides of subjects. We invite our visitors to engage in discussion with us and each other in De Balie.

Over het programma

Deze week worden drie films van Israëlische makers getoond. Deze films zijn gecureerd door onze cinema-redacteur uit het aanbod van het Seret Film Festival. De drie films raken maatschappelijk-sociale thema’s waarvan we het belangrijk vinden dat ze een podium krijgen. Deze films zijn niet ontwikkeld met financiering van het Seret Film Festival. De Balie ontvangt ook geen geld vanuit het Seret Film Festival voor het vertonen van deze films.

Voorafgaand aan de filmvertoning gaan we in gesprek met filmmaker Shiri Nevo Fridental over de mogelijkheid om onafhankelijke kunst te maken in het huidige Israël. En ook over het ontbreken van Palestijns perspectief in het Film Festival.

Wij zijn ervan overtuigd dat deze onafhankelijke kunstenaars met hun films een plek verdienen in onze programmering. De Balie werkt vanuit het idee dat kunst een essentiële vertelvorm is die leidt tot empathie, nuance en ideeënuitwisseling. We geloven niet dat kunstenaars, schrijvers of filmmakers op grond van hun land van herkomst moeten worden afgezegd. En dat het verlies dat het boycotten van cultuur oplevert, groter is dan de winst. We programmeren met kunstenaars omdat die de vele kanten van onderwerpen kunnen belichten. Wij nodigen geïnteresseerden uit in De Balie met elkaar in gesprek te gaan.

About the film festival

Seret International film festival is the largest Israeli film festival in the world and will screen feature films, documentaries, and shorts by Israel’s best directors, weaving together the story of Israeli society in a mosaic. As every year, the program of the festival is varied and fascinating and this year will focus on the female narrative in Israeli cinema and on films made by women creators.