Yoram Ivry

The stories of Eitan, Yigal and Miri show how long the past can cast its shadows. Their Holocaust-surviving parents were abused by the Nazis, then became abusers themselves—their fear and grief transformed into aggression and anger towards their children. For the first time on-screen, children of Holocaust survivors talk openly about the mental and physical suffering they experienced. Stories of abuse contrast with cheerful-looking black-and-white photos of the families. Even the grandchildren appear to be suffering from their parents’ burden of sorrow and pain. The children's attempt to talk about the past, as with Eitan and his ailing mother and Miri with her son, seem futile. The palpable inability to make contact is almost unbearable. Shadows asks the unavoidable questions: how long will the Holocaust continue to exert its evil influence on future generations, and how can the demons of the past be exorcised?

Diana, Ilana, Rona, Shelly, Rucha and Liat openly speak about their life in prostitution: from the initial lure, through learning the rules, to survival strategies. They present stories of independence, resourcefulness, pain and trauma, expressing an extreme feminine and human experience. Michaela (pseudonym) – a young woman currently engaged in prostitution, sounds off on the struggle to survive, turning her cellphone camera into a weapon. The women challenge what is expected of them – to be ashamed and conceal themselves.

Meir Eshel, a 22-year-old beach-boy from Southern Israel, buys a one-way ticket to Paris and re-invents himself as an artist calling himself Absalon. He quickly rises to art-scene stardom, showcased by the most prestigious museums worldwide: the Venice Bienalle, Centre Pompidou Paris, Tate Modern Gallery London, Israel Museum. Absalon’s success was short-lived – almost 7 years pass since his arrival in Paris until his tragic death, during the peak of his success at the age of 28. More than 25 years later, his younger brother Dani Eshel’s first assignment as estate manager – is to sell Absalon’s final art piece. Through his journey we learn about the life of a unique Israeli artist.

Dr. Rudy was an iconic psycho-guru and founder of “The Rudy Psychoanalytic Institute” – the largest in Israel during the 70’s. His controversial therapy methods forced him to fight for his reputation and the institute’s survival. His demise raises questions regarding abuse of power and moral boundaries.

Yael can neither forgive nor forget. After her father was convicted and imprisoned for sexual exploitation, she decides to change the rules of the game for the paralyzed and ashamed victim and files a precedent-setting civil lawsuit against her father. At the same time, she decides to document her events, the chronicle of her disintegrating family, and the heavy price she pays in her life.

A fascinating little-known historical tale is stirringly recounted in Air Born, an inspiring documentary that brings the story of the children who grew up in Israeli air force bases housing projects of the 1960s and 1970s. In a civilian housing complex surrounded by a bustling military base where his father served, director Yoram Ivry recalls his childhood protected by a fence and a guard with an endless feeling of freedom and security, full of dramatic events that influenced his life and the lives of so many other children who grew up in the shadow of wars. Celebrating the heroism and derring-do attitude of Israeli pilots, Air Born also touchingly conveys a valuable history lesson that is both informative and inspirational.