Grocery - Studio Darom Participants 2019
Synopsis
In a small ghetto in the outskirts of Jerusalem, the local grocery doubles as an illegal drugstore - providing its clients with a steady supply of their favorite drugs: A Hasidic woman conducts a secret relationship with her outcast secular boys; a detached teenager carries out a dangerous flirt with one of the staff; an Arab cancer-patient tries to regain his dignity. The microcosm of characters gradually accumulates into a harsh portrait of a distorted (and sedated) world. And in the center of this world, two boys try to find pockets of air. Amir and Eli (14), attempting to overcome the sense of alienation amid their troubled puberty, embark upon an unexpected journey of sex and revelation.
Yuval Shani | Director
Born in Jerusaem. Graduate of The Steve Tisch Film School, Tel Aviv University. GROCERY, his debut feature (in development), won The Steve Tisch Grant for First Feature; The script won development grants from the Israeli Film Fund and the Rabinovich Foundation. His short film Segal was selected by Cannes Cinéfondation, won San Sebastian and Barcelona FF for Best Short; screened at over 60 festivals (incl. Camerimage, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal and Jerusalem). His short U-TURN won the 48 Hour Film Project's Audience Award and was screened at the Haifa Film Festival.
Efrat Cohen | Producer
CEO & Producer of GAUDEAMUS PRODUCTIONS. Efrat holds BA and MFA in Film Directing & Production from Tel Aviv University and was the director of 2008 Student Film Festival. Among the films she produced: The Dive (2018, 92', Locarno- Junior Jury Award; Jerusalem- Best Israeli Feature; Best Debut Film; 3 Continents festival- Audience Award; TIFF); Salt Of The Earth (WIP, docu 60', for Yes); Backwards (2018, short, IDFA- Special Jury Award); The Love Letter (2017, short, Tribeca- Special Mention); 70 Years After (2018, docu series, Channel 8); Heroine (87', 2016, Haifa FF).
Maayan Cohen | Producer
Maayan holds MA in the Multidisciplinary Arts program from Tel Aviv University and BA in the Film Production program from the Tisch Film School. In 2018 she was the director of external relations of the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival. Alongside producing, she is developing her first feature, Vacation supported by the Rabinovich Foundation development grant. She has written, directed & produced award-winning shorts which were screened in festivals around the world. Among them are "Honeymoon", "Zazaland" and "One Last Time".