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Dancing in Jaffa

Viewpoints

World Premiere

USA, Israel | 88 MINUTES | Arabic, English, Hebrew | English subtitles

DANCING IN JAFFA

Female Director(s), Documentary
After decades abroad, renowned ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine returns to his hometown of Jaffa, Israel, nostalgic for the streets of his youth but nervous and dismayed by the strong current of racial animosity that now serves as the norm. Fueled by his belief in dancing’s power to build self-esteem and social awareness, Dulaine brings his popular Dancing Classrooms program to three diverse, Jaffa-based schools where he teaches ballroom basics to the ethnically mixed population of children. Dulaine selects the most focused dancers to train for a citywide competition, pairing Palestinians with Jews, putting many of the children’s and, more pointedly, their families’ beliefs to the test.

As Dulaine’s passion for dance and no-nonsense style of teaching rubs off on the reluctant children, the competition offers the perfect window into their lives. Hilla Medalia’s story beautifully shows these historical archenemies forging an innocent but ultimately meaningful relationship that quickly takes on a much larger significance than what initially meets the eye. Dancing in Jaffa is a sweet and incredibly moving tale filled with moments of truth, poignancy and humor, offering a glimmer of hope in the intractable conflict.

—Liza Domnitz

Co-hosted by:













CAST & CREDITS

Directed by Hilla Medalia

HILLA MEDALIA is a Peabody Award winner and three-time Emmy nominee who has directed and produced the documentaries To Die in Jerusalem, After the Storm and Caught in the Net, among others.
Director
Hilla Medalia
Screenwriter
Hilla Medalia, Philip Shane
Producer
Diane Nabatoff, Hilla Medalia, Neta Zwebner-Zaibert
Editor
Philip Shane, Bob Eisenhardt A.C.E.
Cinematographer
Daniel Kedem
Executive Producer
Morgan Spurlock, Jeremy Chilnick, La Toya Jackson & Jeffré Phillips, Nigel Lythgoe, Sydney Holland

CONTACTS

US Sales Contact
Kevin Iwashina
Endeavor Contact
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: 310 246 3119
KIwashina@endeavorcontent.com
International Sales Agent
Daniel Baur
K5 International
Munich, 81543
Phone: +49 893 750 5590
daniel@k5mediagroup.com
US Sales Contact
Rena Ronson
United Talent Agency
Los Angeles, CA 90210
Phone: 310 273 6700
Ronson_r@unitedtalent.com
Print Source
Neta Zwebner-Zaibert
kNow Productions
New York, 10011
Phone: 917 583 5552
neta@knowproductions.net
Press Contact
David Magdael
David Magdael & Associates
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: 213 624 7827
dmagdael@dmagpr.com