When Mother Comes Home For Christmas ,(Greece, India, Germany, 1996, 109 mins), Director: Nilita Vachani.

15:45

Josephine is a migrant worker from Sri Lanka who takes full-time care of little Isadora in Greece.  Josephine’s own children have been left to a less fortunate fate in the home country.  Finally, after an absence of ten years, Josephine travels to Sri Lanka to visit her children and the camera captures the complicated feelings of loss and longing, expectation, desire and devastation that are the inevitable companions to this transitory union.  (Greek with Eng. Subtitles)

Opening Speech: A representative of the local caregiver's union.

• Reception
• Activities for Kids
• Food Festival

15:30-

18:00

A collection of short student films on migration and migrants in Israel.

18:00

December 25th, Director: Noa Erenberg (The Sam Spiegel Film & TV School)

Desert Trains, Director: Boaz Armoni (Beit Berl Collage)

Aquarium, Director: Emanuelle Mayer (Tel Aviv University)

Neve Sha'anan, Director: Helen Yanovski (Tel Aviv University)

Alien Streets, Director: Boaz Olander (Tel Aviv University)

Ad Matai [Until When], Directors: Tes Jaharza, Samuel Seday and Rim Teeka Salomon

Shelter, Director: Rim Teeka Salomon

Equal, Director: Farouq Mohammed Ismail

Romantico, (USA, 2006, 80 mins), Director: Mark Becker.

19:45

A documentary about Mexican musician Carmelo Muiz Sanchez, who returns home to his beloved daughters after years spent playing San Francisco’s taquer as and hipster joints.  But once Carmelo arrives in his hometown – over a thousand miles south of the border – he finds himself immediately confronted with the struggles that led to his first border crossing.  Despite working the mariachi circuit (weddings, funerals, quinceaeras) and at bars that cater to prostitutes and their clients, Sanchez soon realizes he can’t adequately support his family and plots a return to the U.S.  At the age of 60, another border crossing begins to seem absurd but Carmelo has not given up. (Spanish with Eng. Subtitles)

Welcome, (France, 2009, 110 mins), Director: Phillip Lioret.

21:15

Bilal, a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee, travels across Europe to reunite with his Kurdish girlfriend in England.  He finally reaches the north coast of France, where he can see across the English Channel but the journey comes to an abrupt halt as local authorities, and immigration laws prevent him from continuing.  Bilal decides to swim across the frigid waters of the Channel begins training in a local swimming pool.  There, he meets Simon a middle-aged swimming instructor dreading an imminent divorce from his wife.  They discover they have much in common, and their strong bond will prove necessary for both men to realize their dreams. (French and Kurdish with Eng., Heb. Subtitles)

The movie will be preceded by the discussion "Refugees as Infiltrators"- the moral debate surrounding the French Solidarity Act and Proposed Israeli Anti- Infiltration Legislation.