Bat Sheva Premiere in Israel – Session

A dance installation that was originally commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art in Basel. The performance takes place in Bat Sheva’s Varda Studio at Suzanne Dellal. The dancers of the company who know the material of the company’s repertoire, go “on stage” or off, whenever they want. They can choose what to dance from the repertoire, by themselves, with their colleagues, where they feel it is right – free to choose with who, what, how, when and where to dance – the only rule being an availability and awareness of the space and of their fellow dancers – Music – DJ Guy Shomroni

Friday 5 October at 14:00, Shabbat 6 October at 19:00 and 21:00 – tickets from Bat Sheva – 03-510-4037 or on-line

Sovev Tel Aviv

There is still time to sign up for the big cycling day in Tel Aviv – Friday 5 October starting EARLY in the morning from Kikar Rabin – three routes – 7.5km, 22km, and 42km. Registration and details here.  

Bayit Rik – Jerusalem – 1-6 October

This amazing project which has been quietly happening in the ruins of the agricultural training school in the fields by Armon HaNatsiv in Jerusalem is a must visit. The artists who occupied the site for the past three months or so – have taken the old farm, and rebuilt a “kibbutz” which will function between the 1-6 October as an art installation, a living community, a host for lectures and discussions (Muki Tsur, Professor Yaara Bar-On, Anat Zeltser and more), a kibbutz dining room, and a venue for performance (they have already held a few music events there with huge success).

This group has created similar projects in the past – their occupation of Beit HaSivim on Emek Refaim drew (literally) thousands of visitors when they opened to the general public. I was lucky enough to go visit a few weeks ago and speak to some of the guys who are central to the project – exciting, wild, amazing, artistry and life all in one – you must find time to go visit them before they simply lift up their very few personal belongings and leave the site – info on their Facebook invite (English follows Hebrew) – , and link to the program (in Hebrew only) here

Israeli Documentary Filmmakers Forum announces finalists for the Best Full-Length Documentary

The five nominees are:

• “The Law in These Parts,” directed by Ra’anan Alexandrowicz,
• “5 Broken Cameras,” by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi,
• “Good Garbage,” by Ada Ushpiz and Shosh Shlam,
• “Dolphin Boy,” by Dani Mankin and Yonatan Nir, and
• “Chronicles of a Crisis,” by Amos Kollek

 The Israeli Documentary Film Competition aims to give recognition and expression to the film professionals working in this genre. Prizes in this year’s competition will total NIS 1 million, and will be awarded in seven categories: Full-length documentary, documentary film, television documentary, debut film, student film, free documentation and documentary reporting. The winners will be chosen by the forum’s more than 450 members, and the prizes will be awarded at a ceremony in Be’er Sheva at the end of November.

Between Sorrow and Beauty – Fatma Abu-Rumi – at The Museum of Islamic Art in Jerusalem

“The tragic condition of Arab women is the central issue in Fatma Abu Rumi’s visual works. Though many of the portraits are self-portraits, Abu Rumi is not talking about herself but about all of the Arab women. She expresses her resistance to the oppression and social immobility, and remonstrates against the conventions that prevent women from speaking or acting without the permission of their guardian, lord, husband, or family elder.” – Guest Curator – Farid Abu-Shakra. Born in 1977 in Tamra in the Western Galil, this is Fatma Abu-Rumi’s second solo exhibition.

Um Muhammed

Another remarkable piece of theatrical/performance work by Smadar Yaaron – incorporating an interview she documented on video with Hamdi Mussa (Um Muhammed) from Acco, and in which Yaaron intertwines with the interview in her live performance – this is great theater for those who can deal with the Ivrit – Teatron Tmuna – 23 October at 19:00 – only 30 shekels

Mein Jerusalem – a performance by Sabina Sauber – 13 October – 20:00 at Teatron Tmuna

Israeli theater in English – a fascinating one-woman show – I really loved this (definitely) strange theatrical offering.

Intimadance – In Between – Rewind

23 October – 21:00, 24 October – 20:00 at Teatron Tmuna – Yuval Goldshtein & Omer Uriel, Olivia Kurt-Massa, Gabrielle Neuhaus, Dana Ruttenberg, Maya Yogel  (only 30 shekels) – a revisit of bits of the Intimadance Festival from the summer.