Going to the county fair

August 13, 2008 - 8:52 AM by David · 1 Comment
Filed under: Art, General, History and Culture, Life 

Fair One of the most highly anticipated summer cultural events in Jerusalem is the annual International Arts and Crafts Fair taking place until August 23.

Held in a spectacular setting, just outside the Old City walls in the Arts and Crafts Center and the Merrill Hassenfeld Amphitheater in the Sultan’s Pool,  the fair – known as Khutsot Hayotser in Hebrew - features 150 Israeli artists and artisans, and an international art pavilion with representatives from 30 countries.

Last night, we walked away with a couple beautiful belated baby presents,  hand-made outfits from the Peruvian stall – hey, we can buy Israeli stuff any time.  Many patrons flocked to the Georgian booth to express solidarity over the Russian onslaught of their country. And  the Palestinian crafts area was also well attended, as well as booths with artists from Jordan and Morocco.

The weather was great, even requiring windbreakers for the kids, the atmosphere relaxed and civilized, and it was one of those nights when it hits you over the head that this is indeed a special city.

And the music, did I mention the music?   Stages  were set up throughout the sprawling grounds with different combos performing everything from  Polish ethnic folk songs to South American rhumbas.  At Café  Tav, a structure built right in the middle of the crafts,  designed to give the feel of an old time café, complete with period-dressed actors sitting at tables on scaffolding, and a limber acrobat poised upside down on a pole, patrons could enjoy a beer or a coffee and listen to old-time Hebrew songs performed live. It felt like walking into the cover art of the  The Basement Tapes by Bob Dylan.

Even more, included in the entrance fee each night is a full blown concert by one of Israel’s top mainstream pop artists, including Mosh Ben Ari, Aviv Gegen and Barry Sakharof. Last night, it was Sakharof’s sometimes collaborator and star in his own right Rami Fortis, who offered a typically rocking, fun show.

A rich Belgian fudge waffle was the perfect way to close the night, and waddle back home.

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Movie picks

July 6, 2008 - 8:49 PM by Jessica · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Art, General, History and Culture 

It’s Jerusalem Film Festival season and as usual, I’m somewhat obsessed with figuring out which movies I want to see, with whom and when. I know I’m not alone in this JFF excitement, given that I see other people around town, carrying their Film Festival guides, whether from the paper or purchased, pages thumbed and earmarked.
This year is the 25th anniversary of the international film festival, which was created by the Jerusalem Cinematheque and screens dozens of Israeli and foreign films from around the world at several theaters in town, from July 10 through 19, including Moonlight Cinema, the free, night-time movies shown at the city’s old train station.

Taking in some flicks at the festival is always a great way to celebrate summer, starting with the opening night film that is shown on a giant screen in Sultan’s Pool, a valley shadowed by walls of the Old City. It’s a dramatic scene, even when the fare is family-friendly, such as this year’s choice, Pixar’s Wall-E.

Yet the rest of the festival is a rich smorgasbord of options, from the typical foreign fare of France, Italy Spain and England, to Asian titles, Scandinavian screenings and a wide choice of more select American films, as well as local films on a variety of subjects, from Arab-Jewish relations to more standard cultural fare about Israeli life.

Each year, I relish the opportunity to see films that wouldn’t necessarily reach these parts, whether it’s something I’ve read about, or a movie that piques my interest, but wouldn’t necessarily be my usual choice for a flick. It’s also a chance to be out in the city with other Jerusalemites as well as visitors, appreciating a city that doesn’t always get kudos for its cultural offerings.

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