🇮🇱🇺🇦 The first Israeli animated film festival in Kyiv on March 26-27, 2025: a cultural bridge between Israel and Ukraine

On March 26-27, 2025, the first Israeli Animation Film Festival will be held at the “Krakiv” cultural cluster in Kyiv.

This cultural project is organized by the Embassy of Israel in Ukraine to introduce the Ukrainian audience to the best achievements of Israeli animation in recent years.

This historic event will mark a significant moment in cultural relations between Israel and Ukraine.

The Festival and Its Significance for Cultural Relations

The festival, held under the auspices of the Embassy of Israel, opens new horizons for cultural exchange between Ukraine and Israel. The festival’s program features 16 animation films, including works by well-known Israeli directors, as well as independent student films.

This event has not only cultural but also political significance, highlighting the importance of mutual respect and cooperation between the two nations. The festival in Kyiv provides an opportunity for the Ukrainian audience, including professionals in film and animation, to learn about contemporary Israeli art. The aspect of identity is equally important: each film in the festival’s program reflects Israeli culture, history, and personal experiences of people.

Festival Program

Collection “Israeli Stories”

1. “Letter to a Pig” (Tal Kantor)

This film is one of the brightest representatives of the program and, as mentioned earlier, was nominated for an Oscar. The plot tells about Holocaust memory lessons held in Israeli schools. The film explores how a generation that did not experience this tragedy perceives it through personal memories and educational practices. The painful emotions of children realizing the horrors of the past are shown against the backdrop of a school lesson. The film touches on the theme of memory and its impact on generations distant from the tragedy.

2. “Sacred Holocaust” (Osi Wald and Noa Berman-Herzberg)

This film is also related to the Holocaust theme, but in a different context. It tells the story of the friendship between two girls — an Israeli and a Black German, who in the past encountered betrayal and discord. The film raises the question of how difficult it is for people to forget the past and how historical trauma continues to influence modern life.

3. “Swimming with Wings” (Dafna Avadish Golan)

A documentary animation based on the story of an Israeli woman who emigrated to the Netherlands. Through the eyes of a girl who feels lost in a foreign country, the film shows how difficult it is to adapt to a new life when leaving behind loved ones and a familiar reality. It’s a film about the challenges of being a migrant and how separation from home leaves deep traces in a person’s life.

4. “Temporarily Removed” (Yoav Bril and Dotan Goldweiser)

This film is full of humor and sarcasm. The plot tells the story of a museum guard, who, being a repatriate from the Soviet Union, creates a cold atmosphere in her hall to drive away visitors. Through comic moments, the film raises important issues about cultural identity, memory, and intergenerational interaction.

5. “Yoga Warm-Up” (Naama Yiron)

A student animation film about a woman who experiences anxiety and stress despite attempts to relieve tension through yoga. This short film addresses modern mental health issues and inner fears that cannot be forgotten even when trying to relax.

Collection “Stories of Growing Up”

6. “Your Bad Animals” (Amit Cohen and Ido Shapir)

This film is about a teenage girl’s rebellion against her authoritarian mother. She tries to escape reality and find her freedom in the world of adults, which, however, turns out not to be as alluring as she thought. The film raises themes of growing up and searching for one’s place in life.

7. “Black Hill” (Uri Lotan)

This film has been awarded many prizes and tells the story of a boy who overcomes his fear by deciding to go down the highest slide in a water park. However, as often happens in life, overcoming one fear does not help get rid of others. The boy faces the illness of his mother, and his problems become even more complicated and multifaceted. A story about loss, fears, and growing up.

8. “Golden Margarita” (Keren Karasik)

A student film about teenagers traveling through an abandoned city, abandoned places filled with poverty and filth. However, the environment does not affect the teens themselves, and they find their strength and individuality in this world.

9. “Conservation” (Ani Kaspi Shema and Miri Dochikyan)

This film tells the story of a teenage girl who emigrated from Ukraine to Israel. It is a story about cultural adaptation, finding one’s place in a new society, and confronting new, sometimes difficult, life conditions.

Collection “Funny and Sad”

10. “Fish” (Li Dror)

A story about a woman who went to work in Japan to become a family member. However, when she receives tragic news from home, she has to return to her childhood and memories of her native family. This film addresses the theme of loss and how it affects life priorities and decisions.

11. “Hot Fish” (Yael Reisfeld)

A satirical film about a fish who, after swallowing a phone with erotic photographs, begins to experience unexpected feelings and turns into an object of sexual fantasies. This is a funny and strange story about how our surroundings and memories can influence our perception of the world.

12. “Nurit” (Tal Sokhini)

The film is based on a real story about a woman who lost her child. She could not find peace until she started taking care of her baby’s grave. This film touches on the pain of loss and the importance of finding peace in one’s heart after a tragedy.

13. “Heart Hug” / “In Embrace” (Nika Zhukova and Rimma Gefen)

A documentary film that tells the story of an elderly woman and her dog living under bombs in Odessa. The story is about the war in Ukraine and how suffering and loss can affect the most vulnerable people and animals.

14. “Telescope” (Stav Levi and Ido Shapir)

This film is a small fantasy about how an astronomer, using a telescope, observes a flying saucer. It is a film about scientific curiosity and the search for new horizons.

15. “Departure” (Natali Riss)

An experimental film inspired by the music of Olshansky Fusion Duo, about the journey of a remarkable bird. This film combines fantasy and musical elements.

16. “Deadline” (Idan Gilboa)

A satirical film about two elderly women who turn into vengeful women after being treated inhumanely at a bureaucratic institution. This is a vivid satire on bureaucracy and the impersonal attitude of authorities toward citizens.

Each of these films will not only be captivating and engaging but also important for understanding Israeli culture and history. At the festival, you will be able to see how animation serves not only for entertainment but also for conveying deep social and historical themes.

Important: The Israeli Animation Film Festival in Kyiv is not only a chance to learn about the cultural achievements of Israel, but also an important step towards strengthening relations between the peoples.

Conclusion

The Israeli Animation Film Festival is a landmark event that strengthens cultural and diplomatic relations between Israel and Ukraine. It is an opportunity for Ukrainians to get acquainted with unique works of Israeli animation, which promotes mutual understanding between our peoples.

The festival also emphasizes the importance of cinema as a means of cultural diplomacy and ways to unite people, despite differences in their origins.

NAnews – News from Israel: Important cultural events, such as the Israeli Animation Film Festival in Kyiv, confirm the growing cultural ties between Israel and Ukraine. This festival serves as a bright example of cooperation and exchange between two nations, uniting them through art and history.

The festival will take place on March 26-27, 2025, at the Krakiv Cultural Cluster in Kyiv, at: 12 Rusyanivska Naberezhna, Kyiv.

Tickets are available on the website https://krakiv.com.ua/