Curating the Best of Israeli Cinema: A Personal Note from Patty Hochmann

As we gear up for this year’s Seret UK, I find myself reflecting on the power of storytelling. Every year, our goal remains the same: to bring the very best, most celebrated, and most thought-provoking films from Israel directly to your screens here in the UK.

This year feels particularly significant. We are showcasing a selection of films that have swept awards both in Israel and across the global festivals circuit. It is my absolute pleasure to share a few of the highlights we chose to bring.

Leading our main selection is the Academy Award-winner for Best Film, "The Sea". It is a profound piece of cinema that captures the complexity of the Israeli experience with stunning visual depth.

I’m very proud to present "Burning Man". It’s a deeply moving film about a father who loves his son, a soldier stationed in the south, and chooses to wait for him near his army base. The story is full of strong emotion and feels very real and relevant to our lives today.

Finally, I’d like to highlight “Nandauri” by Eti Tsicko. It tells the story of a woman who goes back to her roots in Georgia, and through this journey, discovers more about herself, her past, and what it means to belong.

A Tribute to Eran Riklis

One of the projects I am most excited about this year is our Retrospective of Eran Riklis. Eran is a master of the craft, and his ability to weave the personal with the political is unparalleled.

We will be screening his latest, incredibly topical work, "Reading Lolita in Tehran", alongside some of his most iconic, award-winning masterpieces that have left an indelible mark on global cinema. We are bringing back "The Syrian Bride", "Lemon Tree", and "Cup Final". Watching "Cup Final" again reminds me how timeless his work is; it continues to speak so directly to our ongoing struggles here in Israel, and it remains a poignant reflection on the human condition amidst conflict.

 In Memoriam: Honoring Cinematic Legends Cinema is not just about the stories on the screen; it is about the artists who bring them to life. This year, we lost some of our brightest stars, and we felt it was only right to honor their contributions to our culture.

In "Cup Final", we witness the sheer virtuosity of the late Mohammad Bakri, an actor whose talent was a gift to us all. We will also be paying tribute to the late Alon Aboutboul through the screening of the cult classic "One of Us". Furthermore, we honor the memory of the brilliant Rami Heuberger, whose sudden passing this year was a tremendous loss to the industry. We will be celebrating his unmatched talent by screening the film that became an undeniable cult classic, "Operation Grandma" (Mivtza Savta).

We have curated this year’s festival to be a space for connection, reflection, and appreciation. I cannot wait to welcome you to the cinemas and share these powerful stories together.

See you at the festival,

Patty Hochmann

Artistic Director & Co-Founder, Seret International