Gera Sandler

Sovietska

Unorthodox

A Hasidic Jewish woman in Brooklyn flees to Berlin from an arranged marriage and is taken in by a group of musicians -- until her past comes calling.

Back to My Roots

Four generations of a Jewish family live under one roof. Despite living next door to a synagogue, the Abramovich’s, with the exception of Grandmother Musa, are not strong on Jewish tradition, religion or identity: Boris’ business is buying, selling (and eating) pork. Meanwhile his son, David hides his origins from his friends, and his wife, Alla has no idea how much she resembles the stereotypical Jewish mother. Everything changes one day when Boris is struck by lightning. While unconscious, he is visited by the spirit of Haim, a long dead and somewhat obnoxious family ancestor. Haim reveals that a long time ago he committed a terrible sin, which resulted in a curse being placed on the entire family. It turns out that only Boris can remove the curse – by setting free Haim’s soul!

Jellyfish

Meduzot (the Hebrew word for Jellyfish) tells the story of three very different Israeli women living in Tel Aviv whose intersecting stories weave an unlikely portrait of modern Israeli life. Batya, a catering waitress, takes in a young child apparently abandoned at a local beach. Batya is one of the servers at the wedding reception of Keren, a young bride who breaks her leg in trying to escape from a locked toilet stall, which ruins her chance at a romantic honeymoon in the Caribbean. One of the guests is Joy, a Philippine chore woman attending the event with her employer, and who doesn't speak any Hebrew (she communicates mainly in English), and who is guilt-ridden after having left her young son behind in the Philippines.

Mother's Dance

Since the death of her mother, Lisa has been the mother of her three brothers. At night, the only time she has to herself, she writes. When she wins a student scholarship in Jerusalem, she has to face the difficult dilemma: to leave or to remain at home taking care of the problematic family.

If Only, If Only

Once in his life, retired intelligence officer and respectable family man Nikolai Nikitin decided to go "left" ... What was his shock when in the girl he was offered in a brothel, he recognized ... his own granddaughter Varya, whom the pimps do not want to let go of their clutches. What to do? Run! Hiding from persecution, the heroes go straight from the brothel to Paris. If only I knew ... If only it were all!

Asia

Asia is the single mother of 17-year-old Vika. Vika's deteriorating health urges Asia to finally find her voice as a mother and to embrace and cherish their time together.

Minyan

In a rapidly changing New York of the 1980s, a Russian Jewish teenager wrestles with his identity, faith, and sexuality, all of which seem irreconcilable until he befriends two closeted men in his grandfather's senior housing complex.

The 90s: The Revelry

Following a weird dream he had, Prosper takes his entire neighborhood to the grave of the Baba Sali in Netivot, but the driver took a wrong turn.

Sharon Amrani: Remember His Name

Raveh does not only document the past, he documents a future that will never be, and the films that Amrani did not live to create. Researching Amrani's documents, Raveh found several short screenplays, and sought out three directors of Amrani's generation to bring them to life. The short films are interwoven throughout the documentary - "The Boat", directed by Nir Bergman, "Albert and Ronit", directed by Dover Kosashvili, and "Sabbath Eve", directed by Joseph Cedar. The warmth, intensity and drama of family life; issues of Persian ethnicity; tradition and the desire to break away from tradition; the competition and camaraderie of boys and men; the search for love; a persistent spiritual search and a love of the sea - all these are reflected in the brief yet intriguing vignettes, imbuing the film with a sense of Amrani's vision as a filmmaker and how his presence might have influenced the Israeli film scene.