The REEL Israel Documentary Film Festival brings examples of the very best recent Israeli documentaries to the Triangle. Over the course of five days, viewers will see award-winning and critically acclaimed films that explore Israel from angles rarely seen in the news: heart-wrenching stories about family and friendship, life and death, and revelations of the past. 

The filmmakers offer sober examinations of their country’s historical and social challenges. The films differ from each other aesthetically and thematically, but share the common goal of unearthing the multi-faceted perspectives and complex realities that lie beyond the headlines of Israel today: the story of a Palestinian child living in an Israeli hospital with his grandfather; the relationship between two sisters, one of whom became a nun; a veterinary hospital for wild animals: a Bedouin family residing for many years in a Jewish town who seeks to bury the mother in a local cemetery; and the recent discovery of discriminatory immigration practices in the early days of Israel.

Films were selected by Duke University Professor and film scholar Shai Ginsburg who notes, “These documentaries present viewers with rare glimpses into the everyday experiences of marginalized communities, and the struggles of various ethnic, religious, and political movements to survive and thrive in the complex experiment of creating a Jewish and democratic society.”