DOK Leipzig 2011: Junior director’s award goes to Israel
Leipzig, October 23, 2011. This year’s "Talent Dove" of the Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig goes to Tamar Tal from Israel for her film "Hatzalmania" ("Life in Stills"). The laureate received the 10,000 Euro award from the hands of Stephan Seeger, Managing Director of the Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig. "I wholeheartedly congratulate Tamar Tal for this film - the jury has made an excellent choice.", said Seeger. The prize money will be used as start-up money for the next film of the director.
With her film, Tamar Tal won the International Junior Competition "Generation DOK", which took place from 17 October to 23 October during the 54th Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film. With 38.000 spectators, the festival broke all previous records.
A warm-hearted film that celebrates the individual
You cannot say it in another way: Miriam Weissenstein is an institution in Tel Aviv and in the lives of all who have to do with her, especially for her grandson Ben. He continues to run the photo shop of his grandparents who captured the development of the young state of Israel from the beginning in pictures which are now celebrated all over the world. Despite the fundamental importance of these documents of a pioneer generation of Israeli self-image which is also tangible in the film, the bulldozers of modernity do not stop in front of the old shop. The photo shop will give way for a new building and the patron of 96 years has to start from the scratch. There comes the moment, when Miriam Weissenstein, a resolute woman who continuously blows up everyone and anything and who you wouldn’t like to have as an enemy, is about to lose heart…The heart-warming film lives from the constant change between Jewish humour to ruthless sarcasm with complete disregard of any correctness (e.g. her behaviour towards her gay grandson) and to intimate moments of vulnerability and pain about a casually revealing dark family tragedy. Each of the (often recurring) settings is framed carefully, even lovely. As if the images should remind us later that we have to go on - regardless of the seriousness of our past.
Text: Grit Lemke (DOK Leipzig)