Ramleh
A videotape by Michal Aviad
Thomas 110
Profiled in this compelling documentary are Sima and Orly, two ultra-orthodox Jewish women who rediscover religion and enthusiastically support the conservative "Shas" party, the third largest political party in Israel; Svetlana, a single-mother and recent immigrant struggling to establish herself in her new country; and Gehad, a young Muslim teacher and law student attempting to find a sense of national identity in a predominately Jewish state. Filmed between the general elections in 1999 and the 2001 elections, Ramleh demonstrates the profound cultural and political divisions barring these women from living together as a united community, as well as reveals how their political landscape helped sow the
seeds of the intifada in 2000. It similarly raises the question whether each woman and the communities they represent will ever peacefully reconcile their search for tradition, religion and homeland.
"The film stands as a meditation about external and internal geographies of identity, particularly in the case of minority groups within Israeli society. Despite its diversity and hybridity, Aviad reminds us that the film can only
be cohered through the Ashkenazi establishment, so well represented by Aviad's missing body, but ever present voice-over narration." Dorit Naaman, Binghamton University
"Excels in its direct, critical and yet full of respect treatment of its subjects. Aviad is able to create identification, as she describes a frightening world, 20 minutes away from Tel Aviv. She does it with wisdom and with a lot of
talent." Irit Shamgar, Ma’ariv, Israel
2001
58 minutes
Color, Video
Israel
Friday, April 5
7:30 P.M
A timely and powerful look at the ideological, cultural and political conflicts in contemporary Israel, this highly original documentary profiles three seemingly disparate women residing in the town of Ramleh. Located in the heartland of the Israel, this former Palestinean territory serves as a microcosm of the beliefs, biases and conflicts of women living in the country today.
