Split Screens: Israeli Filmmakers Confront Colonialism

United Jewish People’s Order, in collaboration with OCADU's Art & Social Change, Independent Jewish Voices and Cinema Politica, proudly presents: 
 

Split Screens: Israeli Filmmakers Confront Colonialism  

• Dates: October 22, October 29, November 5, November 12, 2023 (consecutive Sundays) 
• Time: 2:00 pm (matinee screenings) 
• Location: The Auditorium, MCA 190 (OCAD University, 100 McCaul Street, Toronto) 
• Tickets: FREE! Please register here: https://www.splitscreens.ca 

This first-of-its-kind mini-festival will feature award-winning, provocative works by Israeli filmmakers, exploring multiple aspects of group denial and inaction in the face of chronic colonialism.  

Unlearning has always been a path to liberation.  

At a moment like this, after the terrible events of October 7th and their ongoing aftermath, we feel the urgency of coming together in hopeful spaces to build community.  

We need each other now more than ever.  

Each screening will include discussions and panels with activists and experts, exploring issues from the films.  

Sunday, November 12

Mirror Image | Danielle Schwartz | 11 min | 2013
Jewish Israeli grandparents are challenged by their grandchild to compose an agreed-upon version of the untold story of a large mirror, taken from an Arab village after the 1948 war.  An intimate discussion that reflects on how history is written, contested and negotiated.

The Viewing Booth | Ra'anan Alexandrowicz | 70 min | 2019
How open are we to changing our beliefs? Acclaimed filmmaker Ra’anan Alexandrowicz (The Law in These Parts) explores this question through a cinematic experiment. He asks Maia, a Jewish-American student and ardent supporter of Israel, to view footage of life in the occupied West Bank, some from official Israeli government sources and others from the progressive human rights organization B’Tselem. As Maia attempts to reconcile these images with her worldview—and, months later, to parse these reactions—what emerges is a fascinating and timely study of cognitive dissonance and the strength of entrenched belief systems.