Best Cinematography

Things I Remember from Summer 2004

by Bat Sa'ar Raviv
Tel Aviv university Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Israel

Jury Motivation by Phil Peters

The beautiful surreal cinematography of Things I Remember from Summer 2004 captures Israel’s vast desert from the lens of one family’s doomed road trip. The film begins in the darkness of sunrise and ends in the darkness of sunset, which is a harbinger of the day’s long tragic journey. The cinematography of the landscape becomes the opposing character in the film, being portrayed as tough, rugged and unrelenting in its conflict with the family.

Synopsis

As the media is reporting about terrorist attacks, 9 year old Ya’ara sets out on a road-trip with her family to the desert. The year is 2004 , these are the times of the second Intifada. This is a mysterious coming-of-age film, which centers a family stuck on the edge of a cliff trying to stick together despite the sense of dread in the air. It's a semi-biographical story that attempts to depict the sense of beauty and instability of growing up in a dysfunctional family, during one of the most violent and volatile years in Israel.

Director's biography

Film student at Tel Aviv University. Her first short film "Family Picture" participated in several film festivals, including Jerusalem Film Festival 2021, Poitiers Film Festival 2022, Gufa 2022 and more. Won most promising director award in the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival of 2024 for her film "Things I Remember from Summer 2004".

Credits

Director: Bat Sa'ar Raviv
Cinematography: Bat Sa'ar Raviv
Producer: Shira Rausnitz

Specifications

Original title: Things I Remember from Summer 2004
Running time: 19'
Film type: Fiction
Country: Israel