Documentary film, 60 mins, Israel 2013
Synopsis
Since Europe closed its borders in 2006, thousands of Eritrean refugees fled their military dictator-ruled country towards Israel. The only way out is across the Sinai desert in Egypt. There, many are kidnapped by Bedouin smugglers and taken to camps where they are tortured and raped as they are forced to call their relatives begging for ransom for their release.
We follow Meron Estefanos, an Eritrean journalist-activist living in Sweden. On her radio program she talks to hostages in the camps while recording their pleas for help as well as their family members raising money for their release.
We also follow two refugees that made it into Israel in their attempt to save their loved ones lives.
Crew
Director & Script: Keren Shayo
Executive Producer: Osnat Trabelsi
Producers: Osnat Trabelsi, Galit Cahlon
Production Company: Trabelsi Productions
Editing: Ayal Goldberg
Cinematography: Daniel Kedem
Research: Shirli Nadav
Soundtrack: Itzik Cohen
Music: Yosef Babliki
Print Source: Trabelsi Productions (info@trabelsiproductions.com)
NFCT, yes doco, ARTE-ZDF, SRF, SVT, VRT, Radio Canada
Keren Shayo- Director
Keren is an independent filmmaker residing in Tel Aviv, Israel. She graduated from the cinema department in 'Tel – Hai' College in 2004 and since then has been focusing on social and political issues in her films. She co-founded the nonprofit organization – 'ActiveVision' that aimed to bring the vision of migrants and refugees as a subject in the documentary act. Her short films 'House Arrest' and 'Ya shdad' have been screened at festivals around the world and won awards. She was the director of photography of various documentaries, among them the award-winning films 'Maria en Tierra de Nadie' and 'Refugees'. In 2013 her film 'Sound of Torture' was premiered at IDFA and was sold to 8 TV channels so far.
Osnat Trabelsi –Producer
Graduate of the Department of Film and Television at the Tel Aviv University. Chairwomen of the Israeli Documentary Filmmakers' Forum. Owner of Trabelsi Productions, which produces political and social films. Among the films she produced are international award winning films such as Arna's Children (director: Juliano Mer Khamis), Strawberry Fields, Ashkenaz, Pizza in Auschwitz, Jaffa, the orange's clockwork and the original ground breaking webdoc “Gaza-Sderot”. She initiated and directed the first International Human Rights Film Festival in Tel Aviv and Ramallah. In 2007 she was chosen by The Marker as one of 40 women who make change in society.
Galit Cahlon – Producer
Graduate of the Department of Film and Television at the Tel Aviv University. Former director of productions at the Yehoshua Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts. Acted as the original productions supervisor at Channel 8, Noga Communications, producer and executive producer of several films including “Traffickers” and “Jaffa the Orange’s Clockwork” at Trabelsi Productions, and “Portrait” a doco reality series for Channel 1 produced by Gil Productions. Served as a lector at the 2010 International Students Film Festival in Tel Aviv and the 2012 Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival.
Meron Estefanos
Meron Estefanos is an Eritrean journalist and human rights activist. She is a presenter for Radio Erena. Ms Estefanos is the co-founder of the International Commission on Eritrean Refugees, an advocacy organization for the rights of Eritrean refugees, victims of trafficking, and victims of torture. Ms Estefanos has been key to identify families through out the world who have been blackmailed to pay ransom for kidnapped family members, and was key witness in the first blackmail trial in Europe. She is a co-author of the books '' Human Trafficking in the Sinai: Refugees between Life and Death'' and ''Human Trafficking Cycle: Sinai and Beyond''.
International Sales
First Hand Films
Neunbrunnenstrasse 50, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland
Tel: 41 44 312 2060, Fax: 41 44 312 2080
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Festivals
IDFA, November 2013
Goteborg International Film Festival, January 2014
Sguardi Altrove Film Festival, March 2014
One World, March 2014
International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights, Geneva, March 2014
Münchn Komitee Human Rights Watch, March 2014
Movies that Matter, March 2014
Doc Aviv, Tel Aviv, May 2014
Mexico International Film Festival, 2014
Mediteran Film Festival, Bosnia, August 2014
Bergen International Film Festival, Norway, September 2014
Prix Europe, Berlin, October 2014
28th Israel Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA, October 2014
Verzio Human Right International Film Festival, Budapest, Nov 2014
Rotas & Rituais Film Festival, Portugal, Nov 2014
Move It Film Festival, Germany, Nov 2014
Warsaw Jewish Film Festival, Poland, Nov 2014
18th UK Jewish Film Festival, London, Nov 2014
Amnesty International Documentary FF, Hong Kong, Nov 2014
Awards
Winner of Prix Europa 2014
TV iris category
Best Short Documentary film
Ofir (The Israeli Film Academy) Award 2014
Best Debut Film
DocAviv Film Festival
May 2014
Special Mention Award
International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights, Geneva
March 2014
Audience Award
Movies that Matter Film Festival
March 2014
North America Sales
Women Make Movies
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New York, NY 10001
Tel: 212-925-0606, Fax: 212-925-2052
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