On a secluded Kibbutz in the desert, 12 year old Dvir realizes that his mother is mentally ill. Dvir navigates between the kibbutz’s absurd attempts to implement the idea of equality and the painful reality that his mother has been abandoned by their community.
Sweet Mud
A Film by: Dror Shaul
(Israel/Germany, 2006, 100 Minutes, Color, Hebrew, English subtitles, Cast: Tomer Steinhof, Ronit Yudkevitz, Shai Avivi, Pini Tavger, Gal Zaid, Henri Garcin )
On a kibbutz in southern Israel in the 1970's, Dvir Avni (12) realizes that his mother, Miri, is mentally ill. It is the year of his Bar Mitzvah, and in a series of sometimes funny, sometimes frightening tasks, Dvir and his classmates have to prove their ability to live up to the social standards of the Kibbutz
In this closed, unique society, bound by rigid rules, Dvir navigates between the kibbutz motto of equality and the stinging reality that his mother has, in effect, been abandoned by their collective community.
FESTIVALS & SCREENINGS
• Berlin International Film Festival 2007 - Winner of the Crystal Bear for Best Feature Film
• Sundance International Film Festival 2007 - Winner of Dramatic World Cinema Jury Award
• Montpellier International Film Festival - Winner of Prix Nova Award and Prix Jeune Public Award
• Opening Film San Francisco JFF 2007
• Miami Int'l Film Festival 2007
• Rochester Jewish Film Festival
• Israeli Chicago Film Festival
• Youngstown Jewish Film Festival
• Fairfield County Jewish Film Festival
• Central New Jersey Jewish Film Festival
• Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival
• Winner of Israeli Academy Best Film Award 2006
• Toronto International Film Festival
• Pusan International Film Festival
• San Jose Jewish Film Festival
• Contra Costa Jewish Film Festival
• Virginia Jewish Film Festival
• Cincinnati Jewish Film Festival
• Washington Jewish Film Festival
• Philadelphia Israeli Film Festival
• JCC Manhattan, USA
• Israeli Film Festival, Miami
• Israeli Film Festival, NY
• Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival
• Boston Jewish Film Festival
• North Miami Beach Israeli Film Festival
• Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
• Wesleyan University, USA
• Northern Virginia Jewish Film Festival
• Omaha Jewish Film Festival
• Allentown Jewish Film Series
• Jewish Federation of Broward County
• Tucson Jewish Film Festival
• Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival
• Seattle Jewish Film Festival
• Greensboro Jewish Film Festival, North Carolina
• Austin Jewish Film Festival, Texas
• Long Beach Jewish Film Festival
• Durham Chapel Jewish Film Festival
• New Jersey Jewish Film Festival
• Baltimore Jewish Film Festival
• Burns Film Center, NY
• Columbus Jewish Film Festival
• Northern New Jersey Jewish Film Festival
• Houston Jewish Film Festival
• Rockland Jewish Film Festival
• Detroit Jewish Film Festival
• Staten Island Jewish Film Festival
• Buffalo Jewish Film Festival, USA
• Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival
• Madison Jewish Film Festival
• Portland Jewish Film Festival
• Tulsa Jewish Federation, USA
• Brattleboro Jewish Film Festival
• JCC Greater Washington
• Orange County Jewish Film Festival
• JCC of Rhode Island