Two short animated films by Bezalel graduates on the Oscar shortlist

The films "Wild Summon" and "A Letter to a Pig" were selected for the shortlist of the Academy Awards in the Short Animated Film category. The award is given by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is considered the most prestigious award in the world in the field of cinema.

The movie "Wild Summon" was created by Karni Arieli, a graduate of the Department of Photography, and her partner, Saul Fried. The film deals with the unique life cycle of salmon and describes their journey of survival and search for a home. The surreal character that represents the fish throughout the film is a woman. The film combines photography and animation and is accompanied by a narration by the iconic singer Marian Faithful.

The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or 2023, was also screened at the official selection of the Annecy International Film Festival for Animated Films, and won the London Film Festival: 'Raindance', 2023.

The film "Letter to a Pig" by the animation director, Tal Kantor, a lecturer and graduate of the Department of Screen-Based Arts, produced by the Israeli Dehav Studio and the French Mayo Productions, tells the story of a Holocaust survivor who reads a letter he wrote to a pig that saved his life. A young student hears his testimony in class and sinks into a dark dream in which she faces questions of identity, collective trauma and the extremes of human nature.

The film "Letter to a Pig" won an Ophir award, among dozens of other awards, and participated in many festivals in Israel and around the world.

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