About
Sapir
College:
Sapir
College is located near the city of
Sderot - a target of ongoing bombing by Hamas
from
Gaza.
Despite the
constant
peril, life
in the
community
goes on.
It is one of
several
colleges in
the Israel serving the local population
for
specialized
needs and is
recognized
as one of
the leading
schools for
film studies
in the
country.
Many of its
graduates
are
recipients
of major
national
film prizes
and its
existence
has enhanced
the cultural
life of the
area as well
as
attracting
talented
students
from around
the country.
Among its
450 students
in the their
disciplines
of cinema,
television,
animation,
Sound design
and score
music, and
more, most
stem from
Israel׳s
south and
include new
immigrants
from the
former
Soviet
Union,
Ethiopia,
Europe and
North
America,
Bedouins,
Kibbutzniks
and
Moshavniks
Sapir
College
is also open
to students
from the
Palestinian
Authority.
The student
population
adds to
diverse
personal
narrative
and quality
of outcome.
By bringing
these
various
segments
together,
young people
who might
not normally
interact
with each
other, work
together
with a
common
purpose
providing
conduits for
mutual
cooperation
and respect.
One of the
highlights
of the
School is
its
sponsorship
of an annual
film
festival.
Held
annually,
the Cinema
South
Festival
attracts
close to 25,
000 from the
south as
well as
other parts
of the
country.
Films are
screened at
the Sderot
Cinematheque,
in the
Bedouin city
of Rahat, in some Kibbutzim and on campus.
Unlike other
festivals,
films at the
Cinema South
festival are
free to all
the
population.
They are
also
translated
into several
languages,
providing
exposure of
the medium
to a broader
public.
An
opportunity
was created
where we
could fly
one of the
students
representing
the College
in general
and cinema
department
in
particular
Rotem 27, is
a 4 year
student, at
the
Department
of Film and
Television’s
TV track
Sapir
College.
Rotem has a
sister and a
father; she
is
originally
from Jerusalem and now lives in a Kibbutz Brur Hail
in the
South.
Rotem
directed and
shot the
film
״Shabbat
Shalom״. She
received a
scholarship
from
America-Israel
Cultural
fund, and
set and shot
the short
film ״Two
feet by,״
directed by
Oriana Ben
Aba which
won second
place at the
Southern
Minute
computation,
Cinema South
Festival in
2009.
Rotem with a
touching
personal
story,
visited on
her own
flesh, was
ready and
able to
extend a
hand to the
other side
and
integrate
her life
with their
lives.
Please stop
by and give
us the
opportunity
to introduce
you to one
of the
students who
studies at
the school
with the
option of
visiting an
exhibition
of
paintings,
Cocktails
and light
refreshments.
We’ll
present two
guest
speakers,
Robert
Cancro MD
Director of
the
International
Committee
Against
Mental
Illness and
Chairman
Emeritus of
the NYU
Department
of
Psychiatry
and Matthew
Lakenbach/Executive
Director of
the Middle
East Peace
Civic Forum.
In
the words of
Robert
Cancro, MD:
The
development
of the
printing
press gave
birth to a
revolution
in
communication
and
education by
making
information
more broadly
and readily
available.
As every
neuropsychologist
knows the
impact of
visual
images is
far greater
than the
impact of
the printed
word. Film
is the
printing
press of our
age. More
than
entertainment,
film
communicates
information
in the most
persuasive
and powerful
fashion.
Because of
this
persuasive
impact,
films can
instruct or
they can
brainwash.
Every modern
dictator has
understood
the need to
control the
film
industry as
a means to
shape public
opinion.
The
International
Committee
Against
Mental
Illness (ICAMI)
is
dedicated
to early
detection
and
secondary
prevention
of mental
illness. We
believe that
when stress
exceeds the
individual’s
adaptive
capacity
mental
illness
results.
Prevention
involves the
appropriate
modulation
of stress so
as to
harness its
positive
effects and
to minimize
its
dangers.
Here the
potential
power of
film is
vast.
The Middle East has long been the Balkans of the Megreb. This
film
school’s
location
causes it to
experience
endless
mortar and
rocket
attacks.
Fear is an
integral
part of
daily life
for students
and
faculty.
Yet, as is
often the
case with
people, the
human spirit
triumphs
over
adversity
and creative
work goes
on.
Despite the
horrendous
conditions,
the faculty
educates and
they with
their
students
produce
quality
products
that win
awards and
recognition.
They make
their films
available to
all
individuals
who wish to
see them
without
charge.
Those who
cannot
afford to
pay are not
excluded.
The healing
power of
such
creative
activity is
frequently
under-recognized
or even
unrecognized.
That fact
that Jews
and non-Jews
study and
work
together is
a seed that
if tended
can grow.
Admittedly,
it is a
small arena
of rational
interaction
but the
creation of
many such
arenas can
only be of
value. Much
of the
hatred is
stoked using
the power of
communication.
It is
through
communication
that we can
hope to
extinguish
this
dreadful
emotion.
In
the words of
Matthew
Lakenbach,
Executive
Director of
the Middle East Peace Civic Forum…
Sadly, the
relationship
between
Israelis and
Palestinians
has for too
long been
characterized
by cycles of
violence and
revenge.
Despite it
all, the
desire for
peace,
justice and
reconciliation
among the
people of
the region
runs deep—in
particular
among young
people. The
Film and Television School at Sapir College brings together Arabs and Jews and
provides
them with
training and
opportunities
to express
both pain
and
possibility
through
creative
expression.
Located in
the
simmering
conflict
zone near Israel’s border with Gaza, the college represents the best of civil society in
Israel. The Middle East Peace Civic
Forum (MEPCF)
works to
raise the
visibility
and
effectiveness
of
organizations
like the
Sapir
School and other groups
whose work
lays the
foundation
for peace
and
reconciliation.
We are proud
to be a part
of this
event.
Please visit
our website
to learn
more about
the Middle
East Peace
Civic Forum
at
www.MiddleEastProject.org