Eyal Sher

Raven (Darlena Tejeiro) and Ashley (Andrea Bogart), two young women returning from a rock-climbing expedition, find themselves harassed by a group of bikers at a dusty bar in the desert. With surprise and guile on their side, the girls escape by stealing the leader's bike. Within minutes the furious biker gang is in hot pursuit through the hazardous terrain. Believing they have evaded the bikers, the girls discover a satchel of cash on their damaged bike and stumble across the desert to a small motel. The owner, Ned (Joe Goodrich), has agreed to drive them into town when suddenly the bikers appear, and they're looking for payback and the money.

This mythic love story set in a timeless, lavishly colorful and mystical Jerusalem incorporates hard rock, striking set design, computer-generated imagery and modern-day tensions between the secular and the Orthodox worlds. Hanan, a handsome young traveler - who has pierced ears and wears grungy flannel shirts - falls in love with Lea, the beautiful daughter of a leader in the religious community. Unbeknownst to the couple, a deal was struck, years earlier, in which they were promised to each other by their fathers. When Hanan consults with a master of Kabbala, a set of mysteriously forbidden eleventh-century texts unleashes untold powers, merging the erotic with the divine and affirming love's infinite potential to transcend all obstacles. The lovers are played by Yehezkel Lazarov (Waltz with Bashir) and Ayelet Z'urer (Angels & Demons; Vantage Point). (from sfjff.org)

The ideologies underlying the foundation of modern Israel are explored in this documentary, the third of a trilogy (created over a twenty year span) exploring the Jewish experience. The two earlier documentaries, "Porquoi Israel," and "Shoah," have had great effect on the ways documentaries are produced. "Tsahal" zeroes in on the crucial role of the military in Israeli society and politics. The film uses many in-depth interviews to present the many feelings and thoughts about the Israeli military.