Cinema Sabaya Movie and Facilitator Guide (2021, Orit Fouks Rotem)

Cinema Sabaya (2021, Orit Fouks Rotem) follows a group of Jewish and Arab women employed by the Hadera municipality taking a film course. It’s inspired by real-life courses the director Orit Fouks Rotem ran, and fictionalized versions of the course participants and their experiences. Throughout the course, the women tackle social issues, examine their relationships with others and themselves, and explore what’s different—and the same—between Jewish and Arab society in Israel. By centering the lived experiences of women, Cinema Sabaya provides an entry point for American Jewish audiences to learn more about identity, gender, Arab society, Jewish-Arab relations, and shared society initiatives in Israel. 

This guide contains tools to introduce engaging programing on the complex realities of Arab citizens and Jewish-Arab relations in Israel, regardless of participants’ prior knowledge level. Background information and suggested resources for further learning are provided to help place the film in context, and discussion questions are included to facilitate discussions. This film is best for high school groups and older.