The Mute's House

The Mute's House

Written and Directed by: Tamar Kay

Doc, 31:30 min, 2015, HD, Color

Production: The Sam Spiegel Film & TV School - Jerusalem (JSFS)

Language: Arabic & Hebrew with English subtitles

A building in Hebron, which was deserted by its Palestinian owners, is called "The Mute's House" by the Israeli soldiers stationed there and by the tour guides who pass by. The building's only occupants are a deaf woman, Sahar, and her eight-year-old son, Yousef. The family's unique story, which unfolds against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is told through the eyes of the young and charismatic Yousef, as he goes through his daily routine in both the Jewish and Muslim areas of a city torn apart by hatred and violence.

AWARDS, FESTIVALS & SCREENINGS

IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 2015; Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Durham, North Carolina, USA, 2016; Docaviv- the Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel 2016; The International Student Film Festival Tel Aviv, Israel, 2016; Krakow Film Festival, Krakow, Poland, 2016; FilmIsrael Film Festival, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2016; San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2016; The Jerusalem Film Festival, Israel 2016; Montefeltro Film School Festival Romagna, Italy, 2016; Montenegro Film Festival, Herceg Novi, Montenegro, 2016; International Human Rights Film Festival, Tirana, Albania, 2016; 2ANNAS International Film Festival, Riga, Latvia, 2016; B-EST short film festival Timisoara, Romania, 2016; St. Louis International Film Festival, USA, 2016; Verzio- International human rights documentary film festival, Budapest, Hungary, 2016; Early Bird International Student Film Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2016; Media  Festival “Man in Danger”, Lodz, Poland, 2016; Cinemaiubit Short Film Festival, Bucharest, Romania, 2016; FLICKERS' Rhode Island International Film Festival, Newport, USA, 2017; Flickerfest International Short Film Festival, Bondi Beach, Australia; Irvine International Film Festival, California, USA;  ZagrebDox International Film Festival, Zagreb, Croatia, 2017;

AWARDS:

 Special Jury Award for Student Documentary : IDFA -International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 2015

• Best Student Film: Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Durham, North Carolina, USA, 2016
• Best Student Film: Docaviv- the Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2016
• The Golden Dragon for Best Short Film: Krakow Film Festival, Krakow, Poland, 2016
• Special Mention from the International Federation of Film Societies: Krakow Film Festival, Krakow, Poland, 2016
• Best Short Documentary: Jerusalem Film Festival, Israel 2016

       Best Innovative Film: Montefeltro Film School Festival Romagna, Italy, 2016;

• Best Documentary Award:  Early Bird International Student Film Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria
• Best Student Film: The Israeli Documentary Filmmakers Forum
• Best Documentary Short:  St. Louis International Film Festival, USA, 2016
• Special Mention: Flickerfest International Short Film Festival, Bondi Beach, Australia;

AWARDS:
 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF), USA, 2018, 2^nd Prize- Youth Jury: Best Live-Action Short.