Desperado Square () is an Israeli film written and directed by Benny Toraty. The film was released in 2001. The film received financial support from the Yehoshua Rabinovitz Foundation for the Arts in Tel Aviv.
That year, the film participated in the Ophir Awards and won 5 categories, including Best Director (Benny Toraty) and Best Supporting Actor (
Yosef Shiloach). In addition, the film won first place at the Mediterranean Film Festival in Montpellier, France, and the Screenplay Award at the Valencia Festival in Spain. It was featured in many cultural events in Israel and worldwide and opened the Israeli Film Festival in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
.
The film's music, composed by
Shem Tov Levi.
Plot
The film depicts the life of a struggling southern neighborhood in Tel Aviv, where a cinema once served as the cultural hub and a place that gathered the dreams of its residents.
On the anniversary of the death of Morris Mendavon, the former owner of the cinema, his son Nissim (Nir Levi) dreams a dream in which his deceased father commands him to reopen the cinema, which was closed 25 years ago. As a result, the Mendavon brothers, Nissim and George (Sharon Reginiano), decide, despite the opposition of their mother Seniora (Yona Elian), to screen the classic Indian film "Sangam," starring Bollywood icon Raj Kapoor. However, before they can do so, they must search for and find who holds a rare copy of the film. All the neighborhood residents get caught up in the adventure, during which the brothers uncover details about their family and their past that they had not known before.
Cast
*
Yosef Shiloach
*Yona Elian
*
Mohammed Bakri
Mohammad Bakri (born 1953; , ) is a Palestinian actor and film director.
Personal life
Bakri was born in the village of Bi'ina in Israel. He went to elementary school in his hometown and received his secondary education in the nearby city of ...
*
Uri Gavriel
*Nir Levy
*
Ayelet Zurer
Ayelet Zurer (; born ) is an Israeli TV and film actress. She began her career on the Israeli teen drama '' Inyan Shel Zman'' and has starred in numerous Israeli TV and film roles. She received awards for Best Actress at the Israeli Academy Awa ...
Festivals and awards
*
Montpellier Film Festival
Montpellier International Mediterranean Film Festival (''Cinemed'') is the second most important cinema festival in the Mediterranean after the Cannes Film Festival. Cinemed aims to promote the cinema from the Mediterranean basin, the Black Sea, ...
, France 2001 - Antigone d'Or
*Israeli Academy Awards 2001 - Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Art Direction, Best Costume, Best Original Music
*Valencia Film Festival, Spain 2002 - Best Script
References
External links
*
Desperado SquareRotten Tomatoes
Israeli Films
Israeli comedy-drama films
Films set in Tel Aviv
Films set in a movie theatre
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