Rooftop Films: Sweet Mud June 20, 2010

VENUE
SOLAR ONE
On the pier at Solar One
KIPS BAY
2420 FDR DRIVE, SERVICE ROAD EAST AT 23RD STREET AND THE EAST RIVER, NEW YORK, NY 10010
R/6 to 23rd St., walk all the way east.
8:00 Doors Open
8:30 Live Music by Hank & Cupcakes
9:00 Film begins

A Sundance-winning satirical drama about a young man and his mentally-troubled mother, living on a kibbutz in 1974, presented in partnership with Consulate General of Israel in New York.

Presented in partnership with: IFC, New York magazine, Consulate General of Israel in New York, vitaminwater, Solar One, the NYC City Council Manhattan Delegation & Council Member Daniel Garodnick
THE FILMS

SWEET MUD (Dror Shaul | Israel | 97 min.)
To many, the mere concept of the Israeli kibbutz is reminiscent of solidarity, community spirit and romanticism. The reality, however, can be very different. It is 1974 and Dvir, 12, is entering his bar mitzvah year. He will have many difficult tasks to fulfill on the road to becoming a man; but the most difficult one of all is coping with his mother Miri, whom he loves above all else. Dvir knows that she is fragile and needs to be protected. When Stephan, Miri's Swiss boyfriend, comes to visit, he captures Dvir's heart and makes Miri happier than she's been in years. When he proposes to her and states his intention of moving to the kibbutz, the future seems bright.

But Stephan crosses the boundaries of this closed community by attacking one of the members in an attempt to protect Dvir, and is forced to leave. This turn of events breaks Miri's spirit and fractures her delicate status in the kibbutz. Dvir feels that he is the only one who can help his mother now - even if it is in a radical, irreversible way.

Casting a critical and intensely personal eye on life on a kibbutz, Sweet Mud peels away the layers of folklore and romanticism to reveal the harshness of the communal enterprise. Israeli director Dror Shaul places his outstanding cast in settings of lush visual beauty in a film that was developed at the Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Lab with input by Stephen Gaghan, Ed Harris amongst others.

Rooftop Films is proud to continue our partnership with the Consulate General of Israel in New York. This summer the Consulate will mark the centennial anniversary of the Kibbutz movement in a special outdoors screening. This evening will be dedicated to the magic of this unique Israeli social phenomenon. As the kibbutz is founded upon agriculture, with a concentration on nature, we will go green - with a screening of the film Sweet Mud, powered solely by green energy. Come join us for a "kibbutz-like" gathering filled with Israeli food, music and film, all under the summer skies.

israelfm.org/culture
sweet-mud.com

Official Website: http://www.rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/17-sweet-mud