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Israeli Documentaries Make Oscar Shortlist

‘The Gatekeepers’ and ‘Five Broken Cameras’ are being considered

by
Rikki Novetsky
December 05, 2012
The Gatekeepers(FilmInc)
The Gatekeepers(FilmInc)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced yesterday they are done sifting through the 126 documentaries eligible for a 2013 Oscar. Among the fifteen finalists, two are Israeli films.

Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi’s “5 Broken Cameras” is a 2011 film that chronicles peaceful Palestinian resistance in the Arab West Bank village, Bil’in. Viewers are taken behind the camera of Palestinian villager Emad. Throughout the film, five of Emad’s cameras are smashed by the IDF, yet he continues to record the countless arrests and raids that affect his friends and family.

Dror Moreh’s “The Gatekeepers” provides an inside perspective on five decades of Israeli history, with six interviews of past Shin Bet (Israeli secret service) leaders. The men share reflections on their responsibilities towards the peace process with Palestinians, while simultaneously working to protect Israel’s domestic security.

Jewish influence on the list doesn’t stop there. Other films on the Academy’s shortlist include “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” produced by Alison Klayman; “Detropia,” edited by Israeli Enat Sidi and co-produced by David Menschel; “Bully,” produced by Lee Hirsch; the list goes on. The fifteen films will be narrowed down to five by early January, and the winner will be announced at the February 24 Academy Awards.

Rikki Novetsky is TK BIO.