As we all struggle to make sense of ‘truth’ and reality in today’s tumult and as social media has given everyone a platform to direct their public narrative, it is quite natural that documentaries have increased in popularity as a mode of storytelling.
This spring, Docaviv, Israel’s largest international film festival, marks its twentieth anniversary, standing out as one of the world’s leading documentary film festivals and as a beacon for cinephiles across Israel. Despite its humble beginnings as a niche festival, it has become an international ‘happening,’ opening its doors to more than 56, 000 attendees last year.
The festival hosts a number of world premieres among the 120 films shown (thirty percent of which are Israeli) at twelve locations in Tel Aviv, along with artist talks and curated programs. Underscoring Docaviv’s prominence among festivals like the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and Vision Du Real, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has identified Docaviv as an Academy Award-qualifying festival in the Documentary Short subject category; the film that wins the Best Documentary Short award at Docaviv will be automatically eligible to submit for Oscar consideration.
“I have always seen film as the method of ultimate art making,” noted Karin Rywkind Segal, Docaviv’s Artistic Director. Responsible for the programming of the entirety of the festival (along with Docaviv Galilee and Docaviv Negev, which are also marking their tenth and fifth anniversaries, respectively) Rywkind Segal and her team view more than one thousand films during the selection process. “We try to show as much diversity of documentary cinema as possible so that there is something for everyone,” she says. “We try to find within the spectrum of our audiences, films which are cinematic, tell a story, reflect social issues, and are a form of art. It is very, very diverse.” To mark this year's milestone, founder Ilana Tsur has selected her 'pearls': handpicked films that she feels are significant from her time with Docaviv, which will be screened as part of the regular festival.
Only after selecting the films does Rywkind Segal look for their common thread. This year's selection is strung together by the constantly shifting ground and instability we find ourselves in, politically and otherwise. “What we thought yesterday is not what we think today, and what was the talk of last year in the world of documentary cinema is no longer the main conversation,” notes Rywkind Segal. The reaction of filmmakers to our uneven footing is to show instability either outright or as a metaphor.
Included in this year's library are documentaries demonstrating the “inside of a family that reflects our outside world and the shifts that are made within the boundaries of the house, but of course, everything that is going on inside reflects outside, and vice versa.”
In opening up a dialogue within the world of cinema, the festival is accessible to a wide spectrum of viewers – from passive moviegoers looking for something new to documentary savants. “We are able to push the envelope and show films that might not be totally ready for public consumption each year because there is a demand. There aren’t many places in Israel to view these types of films,” explains Rywkind Segal. Furthermore, the support of this type of cinema gives filmmakers a chance to explore their medium with the confidence that there is a platform for them, and an audience who wants to view and discuss these creations.
That discussion is not exclusive by any means, either. One of DocAviv Director & CEO Galia Bador’s labors of love is to bring the festival to the peripheries of Israel. Beyond Docaviv Galilee and Docaviv Negev later on in the year, the organization facilitates workshops throughout the country that pair high school students with young filmmakers to produce, edit, and premiere their own films at the festival. These are available for public streaming on Docaviv’s video-on-demand website.
The constant reflection that goes into curating Docaviv is not a small task for Rywkind Segal and her team, but it is a worthy effort for us all. Docaviv will take place in locations throughout Tel Aviv from May 17-26.