Barak Heymann

75 min | Israel | 2019

Goddamned communist! Internal enemy! Privileged Tel Aviv Ashkenazi! It seems Dov Khenin has been called almost everything during his 13-year tenure as Member of Knesset for the Jewish-Arab party ‘Hadash’. For years, director Barak Heymann has been following this leading legislator, creating a film that examines the open wounds of contemporary Israeli society: from the forced removal of the residents of Givat Amal to turbulent meetings of the Knesset’s Finance Committee, and down to the violent events at Umm al-Hiran. Comrade Dov is a surprising, thought-provoking portrait of a unique politician, who refuses to give up even as reality deals him one cruel blow after another.

Official Selections: Docaviv. Tel Aviv, Israel; Other Israel Film Festival, New York City, USA; Watch Docs Film Festival, Warsaw, Poland

SCREENED WITH

IL GRANDE PRESIDENTE - THE GREAT PRESIDENT

Giovanni Basso

5 min | Italy | 2019

Primo, a thirty-five-year-old politician, and his twin brother Adamo, are waiting for a phone call that will communicate whether Primo has been chosen by the President of the Republic to be the new Prime Minister. Of the two brothers, Adamo is the sensible and reasonable one, while Primo proves to be a deviant with fascist ideas, just like their father, who also was a ruthless politician. During a verbal confrontation, Primo makes an absurd proposal to Adamo, telling him that when the phone rings, if Adamo picks up first he can assume Primo’s identity and become the new Prime Minister. Being twins, no one will notice the difference, and Adamo will have the opportunity to govern the country as he pleases.

Official Selections: Cortinametraggio Film Festival, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy; Shorts@Fringe – Azores Fringe Festival, Azores, Portugal; Porto 7 – Oporto Int’l Short Film Festival, Oporto, Portugal; Great Message Int’l Film Festival, Pune, India; Short Story Film Festival, Providence, RI, USA; Alwar Int’l Film Festival, Alwar, India; Radical Frame Film Festival, Berlin, Germany; Reale Film Festival, Milano, Italy