Israeli Film Series
In collaboration with the Prosserman JCC, this series showcases the excellence of Israeli cinema.
SAVE THE DATES
We’re excited to announce that our Israeli Film Series will return in 2025!
The films playing in this edition will be announced soon, but in the meantime you can mark these dates on your calendar:
January 22
February 19
April 2
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for details on the full lineup and ticket sales by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Wednesday, November 20th at 7pm
Leah Posluns Theatre, Prosserman JCC, 4588 Bathurst Street
Tickets $18
Free parking available
In this cheeky Mossad comedy, Dov is a Jewish American spy in Istanbul desperate to convince his Israeli peers that he has located a legendary terrorist. On the verge of being forced to retire, he is desperate to prove that he is the hero he always thought he would be. The film is inspired by the filmmaker’s own experience as an American who joined the Israeli Special Forces, and felt the clash between American culture and Israeli machismo.
PAST SCREENINGS
Wednesday, November 20th at 7pm
In this cheeky Mossad comedy, Dov is a Jewish American spy in Istanbul desperate to convince his Israeli peers that he has located a legendary terrorist. On the verge of being forced to retire, he is desperate to prove that he is the hero he always thought he would be. The film is inspired by the filmmaker’s own experience as an American who joined the Israeli Special Forces, and felt the clash between American culture and Israeli machismo.
Wednesday, October 30th at 7pm
Albert, an aging war veteran (brilliantly played by Shmuel Vilozni) makes a drunken bet: he will drive his beat up tractor (top speed: 35km/hour… downhill) the length of Israel to Eilat—in one week. Ben, his grumpy, unemployed son, is obligated to join him. Their funny and bittersweet journey towards forgiveness and understanding takes them on a road trip from their kibbutz through Israel’s neglected backyard, meeting others who also strive for a better life.
Wednesday, September 25th at 7pm
Israel’s submission to the Oscars, Seven Blessings unfolds over a riotous week of “sheva brachot,” seven nights where two newlyweds are honoured with festive dinners. What is meant to be a week of unbridled celebration becomes a catalyst for family conflict,as unresolved issues stemming from an old Moroccan tradition rise to the surface. Adding to the tension are the groom’s French Ashkenazi parents unused to Sephardic traditions. Made by the director of Noodle, the film boasts a stellar cast led by Reymonde Amsallem (The Attack).
Wednesday, May 15th at 7pm
In this captivating and surprisingly nuanced musical set in the euphoria of Israel’s 1967 victory, the lives of two couples from Kibbutz Netzer Sirani take dramatic turns post-war. Neta Agmon’s acting career takes off just as her husband comes back from the war, forever changed. While Neta’s star rises, she faces a personal battle at home, trying to reconnect with the man she once knew. Amidst a nation celebrating, they navigate the unseen aftermath of war and the challenge of keeping love alive.
Wednesday, April 10th at 7pm
In his most recent film performance, Sasson Gabai (The Band’s Visit, Karaoke) offers an immensely moving performance as Shimon, an Israeli who arrives in Paris to visit an old friend and spend time with his daughter, who has settled there with her husband and child. Once he begins to sense that something is wrong with her marriage, Shimon gets drawn into a secret life he never would have predicted.
Wednesday, March 20th at 7pm
In this charming romantic comedy, two mismatched seniors find love when circumstances conspire to bring them together. When Tami, an absent-minded widow, accidentally hits 70-year-old widower Beno with her car, the last thing on her mind is romance, but she invites him over to ensure that he won’t sue her. Though her cheerful disposition contrasts sharply with his sarcastic demeanor, she finds herself falling for him. Can their budding relationship survive the scrutiny of their children and interfering neighbours? A heartfelt film starring two Israeli film icons, Nitza Shaul (Ephraim Kishon’s The Policeman) and the late Yehuda Barkan.
Wednesday, February 21st at 7pm
In a dusty village on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, the late Morris Mandabon appears to his son in a dream and orders him to re-open their family’s now-boarded-up movie theatre, an act that revitalizes the community and reawakens old passions. An Israeli answer to Cinema Paradiso, this lovely and evocative film is also filled with a spirited soundtrack of Greek, Israeli and Indian music.
Wednesday, January 31st at 7pm
In this romantic comedy by Erez Tadmor (Magic Men and A Matter of Size), Moti Bernstein is the son every mother wants and the student every Rabbi loves to teach. And he is not bad looking either…. In search of a wife, he meets the best girls in the Jewish Orthodox world. However, he only falls for the one girl he can never have, his sister’s friend Nechama, who hails from a Moroccan Mizrahi family—a taboo for his established Ashkenzi community. Moti will be forced to go out on a limb in the most unexpected and unusual of ways.
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