In the context of fluid and evolving attitudes about refugees and immigrants, we present two stark and immediate documentaries, A Demonstration in a the White City and White Night, that illuminate a population that is often hidden in the shadows.
White Night
Documentary / Dir: Irit Gal / 2012 Israel / Arabic, Hebrew w/English subtitles / 47 min
Every night, starting at 2 AM, Arab domestic laborers living in the West Bank risk their lives sneaking through the security barrier to clean houses in Jerusalem. They watch for the soldiers and police who would arrest them, while encouraging and protecting each other on the trail. The documentary is shot hand-held, very much like war correspondence footage, enhancing the sense of danger they feel. The women are extraordinary – determined, strong and fearless, humorous and ironic, on their nightly six-hour scrabble to work menial jobs to feed their families.
“Many touching and even comical moments.” -Jerusalem Post
A Demonstration in the White City
Documentary / Dir: Tal Haim Yoffe / 2015 Israel / Hebrew w/English subtitles / 48 min
This documentary jewel provides an education about Israel’s political and cultural history told in the context of a peaceful demonstration by 10,000 Sudanese and Eritrean asylum seekers, joined by Israelis, in the “White City,” Tel Aviv— a call for freedom and against deportation and imprisonment. Director Tal Haim Yoffe narrates in the first person as he films with a hand held camera, wending his way through the city to participate in the protest, capturing streets and monuments reflective of the diverse cultures that have been welcomed to Tel Aviv. This powerful and personal statement reminds us that Jews were once refugees, and abandonment of Israel’s Basic Law to protect human dignity and liberty weakens its national foundation. Following the films Israeli filmmaker Tal Haim Yoffee will discuss his documentary.
