05/12/2014 - Next month, the major American film festival will present two Israeli movies: one fiction (Princess) and one documentary (Censored Voices)

Shira Haas and Ori Pfeffer in Princess

Two films, a fiction and a documentary, will represent Israel at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival (22 January–1 February): Princess and Censored Voices. The programme also consists of numerous European films (read the article).

Princess is the second feature by Tel Aviv-based director and screenwriter Tali Shalom Ezer, for which she won the Haggiag Award for Best Israeli Feature at Jerusalem earlier this year. This title, which will have its international premiere at Sundance, has been selected in international competition. It tells the story of Adar (Shira Haas), a 12-year-old girl who lives with her mother (Keren Mor) and Michael, her stepfather (Ori Pfeffer). Her mother, who is an alcoholic, is not around very often; while Michael, who seemingly loves Adar a lot, spends his time playing with her. Their relationship quickly becomes unhealthy and dangerous. In order to escape, Adar becomes close with Alan, who accompanies her on a dark journey teetering between reality and imagination. The film was produced by Israeli outfit Marker Films.

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Mor Loushy, for her part, will present her second documentary, Censored Voices, as a world premiere. This production from Israeli-American firm kNow Productions revisits the Six-Day War, which in 1967 saw Israel fight against Egypt, Jordan and Syria. One week following the end of the war, the famous writer Amos Oz and publisher Avraham Shapira made recordings of soldiers returning from the front line, but only a very small portion of these recorded testimonies were allowed to be broadcast. Now that the Israeli Army's censorship has been lifted, Censored Voices reveals these conversations in their entirety for the very first time.

(Translated from French)