Kino Lorber is pleased to present Orit Fouks Rotem’s Cinema Sabaya, a richly textured narrative portrait of a group of Arab and Jewish women taking part in a documentary filmmaking workshop and Israel’s official entry to the 95th Academy Awards.
A group of Arab and Jewish women attend a video workshop at a small town community center run by Rona (Dana Ivgy, Zero Motivation), 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 of this unlikely group of friends.
Israel’s Official Submission to the 95th Academy Awards and winner of five Ophir Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress (Joanna Said).
Written & Directed by Orit Fouks Rotem
Winner of 5 Ophir Awards including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress
Cinema Sabaya will open in New York on February 10 at the Quad Cinema and in Los Angeles on February 24 at the Laemmle Royal, with national expansion to follow.
