UK Jewish Film Festival: Ones to Watch

22-09-2008 14:11

Heroes and heroines, artists, love stories, Koran-reading Jews, Kosher-cooking Muslims, resistance fighters, award winning documentaries, soap operas, dramas and world class feature films exploring memories and experiences of the Holocaust, the atrocities of war, relationships across the Jewish/Muslim divide and the solidarity of female friendship.

These are just some of the themes, characters and protagonists that make up the UK Jewish Film Festival’s (UKJFF) fantastically diverse line-up of films and events this year.

This year’s festival includes a huge variety of films (45 titles), including 31 UK premieres and more than 60 screenings across London cinemas. The programme includes Jewish-related feature, documentary and short films made and produced around the world.

FemaleFirst has taken a closer look at the line-up to highlight what you should be looking our for when the UK Jewish Film Festival rolls into London on the 8th November.

Lemon Tree

Part of the opening night gala Lemon Tree is on of the high profile movies of the event and has already had success on the festival circuit.

Palestinian widow Salma (Hiam Abbass) tends her lemon grove on the green line border between Israel and the West Bank, until Defence Minister Navon (Doron Tavory) moves into a smart house on the other side of the fence and the trees are deemed a security risk.

In the ensuing fight to save them, Salma falls for handsome young lawyer Ziad (Ali Suliman) and stirs the compassion of Navon’s conflicted wife Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael).