Other Israel Film Festival Spotlight: The Garden of Eden

The 7th Annual Other Israel Film Festival takes place in New York City November 14th-21st, and Movies With Abe is proud to offer you a spotlight on some of the films being presented. Visit the festival website for a complete schedule of screenings for the films.

The Garden of Eden
Directed by Ran Tal
Screening November 16 at 7pm, November 17 at 3pm, and November 19 at 8:30pm

This involving documentary centers on a park that appeals to Israelis of all walks of life, called Gan HaShlosha National Park by Jews and the Sahne by Arabs. This film doesn’t try to take sides or pit people against each other. Instead, it puts them right alongside one another, with lingering shots of all of the different visitors to the park, sitting and standing, some wearing religious garb, Jewish or Muslim, and others without shirts ready to go swimming. This device, used multiple times throughout the film, is very effective. Combined with personal testimonies about immigration stories and experiences, this is certainly one of this festival’s most well-rounded entries.