The Jerusalem Film Festival is the most important cinematic event in Israel. Every summer, filmmakers and film enthusiasts from all over the world come here to watch and discuss more than 200 films. This year's opening ceremony was attended by Israeli President Issac Herzog, which indicates the prestige of the festival. In addition to him, Daisies, one of the leading films of the Czechoslovak New Wave, will also appear at the event.
The film by the world-famous Czech director Věra Chytilová will be screened in a restored version on 25 July at 21:30 and on 27 July at 23:00.
Although the film first appeared on cinema screens in 1966, its theme is immortal. It shows the lives of two women who decide that they will be spoiled, because the world around them is also spoiled. The film was disliked by the official communist leadership of Czechoslovakia because it held up a mirror to the conformist society of that time.
Two years ago, the festival featured the award-winning film by Czech director Václav Marhoul, The Painted Bird, and movies by director Miloš Forman were also screened in Jerusalem.
Film Event of the Year
The Jerusalem Film Festival has a long tradition, it was founded by the first lady of Israeli film, Lia Van Leer, in 1984. From the very beginning the festival aimed to be not only a source of film experiences but also a meeting place for international filmmakers. Over the years, Robert De Niro, Jane Fonda, Roman Polanski and Quentin Tarantino have all appeared at the festival.
The festival aim is to play the best films of the past year and maybe even something more - older, but unforgettable movies. One of the most exciting experiences that the festival provides for visitors is an open-air screening in the so-called Sultan's Pool, which is a valley next to the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The "pool" can accommodate more than five thousand people.
Among other things there are also meetings between Israeli filmmakers and producers and their counterparts from abroad during the festival. The aim of these meetings is to promote international co-production.
