As the war with Hamas continues, some theaters are open for in-person viewing, but obviously it would be wise to check their websites before you head over.
The Cinema City chain is opening theaters in Jerusalem, Hadera, and Netanya. Yes Planet is opening its theaters in Haifa and Zichron Ya’acov. Movies are being shown during the day and in the early evening, but there are no late-night shows.
These theaters feature movies that opened up until the war began, so if you were hoping to catch a new movie like Killers of the Flower Moon, you’ll have to wait a little longer.
What are the best movies to watch in Israel right now?
One of the best options showing for adults is Avi Nesher’s latest, The Monkey House, a comedy/drama/mystery about the literary world, starring Adir Miller. There are also many new children’s movies.
The Lev Cinemas chain is not opening its theaters, but you can enjoy its VOD options for children and the whole family for free at www.levscreening.com/levforkids. They have a selection of some of the best-loved recent children’s movies, the Paddington films, and the new version of The Little Prince.
The Tel Aviv Cinematheque has online children’s and adult programming at www.cinema.co.il.
The Jerusalem Cinematheque is continuing to show two movies a day, for free. You must reserve a place at jer-cin.org.il.There is one movie at 11 a.m. and another one, for children, at 2:30 p.m. The schedule has been announced through October 26. On November 2, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie will start playing once a day (NIS 60.)
The movies showing at the Jerusalem Cinematheque this week include such classics for the whole family as Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride, which stars Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Wallace Shawn, Peter Falk, Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin, and so many others. It’s a wonderfully off-kilter fairy tale for kids who love adventures without too much kissing, and it would be a real treat to see it on the big screen.
Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid will also be shown. Lool, the collection of songs and skits by Arik Einstein, Uri Zohar, and their pals, is also great fun. The programmers have obviously tried to bring Jerusalemites some truly enjoyable movies.
The online Israel Film Archive of the Jerusalem Cinematheque also offers some wonderful movies and video clips at jfc.org.il/en. The library of videos made in Israel is free, and many of the movies are now free, while some cost NIS 15 to rent.
Transfax Films, one of the major Israeli production companies, has just made all of its films available for free. Among the films from Transfax, I recommend Yana’s Friends, the 1999 movie by Arik Kaplun about a Russian woman left alone in Israel during the first Gulf War, which features a memorable love scene during a Scud missile attack.
Dover Kosashvili’s breakout movie, Late Marriage, about the son (Lior Ashkenazi) of a Georgian family in Israel who is pressured to break up with his Israeli girlfriend (Ronit Elkabetz) and marry a girl his parents pick out for him, is also available, with English subtitles. Both Yana’s Friends and Late Marriage are sexy, dark comedies and not for kids; they would definitely be R-rated in the US.
Saint Clara, directed by Ari Folman and Ori Sivan, is a black comedy that may just suit your mood now, about teens in a dystopian Israeli suburb where a girl (Lucy Dubinchik) discovers she can predict the future, which makes her popular with people who want to win the lottery.
There is also a collection of documentary video clips on the theme of autumn, like a look at a new show at the Tel Aviv Museum, a Tel Aviv fashion show, the first rainfall of the year in Tel Aviv in 1937, and more.
Among the documentaries available for free on the site are David Ben-Gurion Remembers by Simon Hesera, and Lia, a look at Jerusalem Cinematheque founder, Lia van Leer. There are also short collections of clips on the history of Israeli fashion, Israeli animation (called “Hebrew Moving Drawings”), and Sport Pioneers, which features clips of Israeli sporting events in the 1970s.
The Israel Film Archive is one of those sites you may find yourself surfing for much longer than you originally intended, so be warned.