Disengagement

Uli is a young Israeli who travels to France for his father’s funeral. There he meets his French half-sister Ana. The mood oscillates between quiet reflection and a playful sense of rediscovered connection. Reality intrudes in the form of their father’s will, the contents of which shock Ana, revealing secrets from the past that she thought were hers alone. Forced to follow her father’s wishes and return to Israel with Uli, Ana comes face to face with the daughter that she abandoned one day as well as the country’s present reality. As the official policy of disengagement is ruthlessly enforced in the settlements, she struggles to re-engage with her personal history. Disengagement clearly refers to the Israeli government’s current policies of withdrawal from Gaza and the forced destruction of illegal settlements established by Israeli citizens in the region’s disputed areas. "Disengagement" takes on another, much subtler, more personal meaning. As the two levels of significance speak to each other, Amos Gitaï employs all his considerable artistry to explore the term both emotionally and intellectually. The lyric singer Barbara Hendricks makes a special appearance at the funeral’s scene.

Born in Haifa, Israel, in 1950. His works are presented at Mostra since the 20 th edition, in 1996, with The Arena of Murder. In 2004, at the 28 th Mostra, he was honored with an exhibition of his photos, the publishing of a book and a complete retrospective of his films, including Kadosh (1999) and Kedma (2002, awarded with the Critics Prize at the 26 th Mostra). He directed a short film in the collective project Welcome to São Paulo (2004), produced by Mostra. He has also directed Free Zone (2005), Disengagement (2007) and Ana Arabia (2013). Gitai won the Humanity Award at the 31 st Mostra, in 2007. The director also presented at the 38 th Mostra with the films Tsili (2014) and Words with Gods (2014). He exhibited at the 41 st Mostra the feature film West of the Jordan River (2017).

43ª MOSTRA INTERNACIONAL DE CINEMA

43ª MOSTRA INTERNACIONAL DE CINEMA