NFB Collection
Zero Degrees of Separation
20051 h 29 min 44 secFilm: Documentary
Direction: Elle Flanders
Production: Elle FlandersPeter StarrSilva Basmajian
Produced by Graphic Pictures in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada, with the support of the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council's Chalmers Arts Fellowship, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, the Banff Centre for the Arts, Fameline Finishing Fund, Jerome Foundation and Wexner Centre for the Arts.
Zero Degrees of Separation breaks with the sensationalistic media coverage of the violence in the Middle East by documenting the everyday lives of two mixed gay Palestinian-Israeli couples. Faced with modern injustices of work visas, checkpoints, harassment and prejudices, these courageous and outspoken individuals resist attempts at oppresssion and take small steps each day to build a sense of peace, mutual respect and hope.
Drawing the past into the present, the director interweaves her own rich narrative of growing up with Zionist grandparents who were intimately involved in the founding of the state of Israel. Their archival home movies that evoke an idealized Israel of the 1950s now take on a haunting quality that summons larger questions of humanity, conflict and nationalist aspiration.
Availability
Subject categories
- War, Conflict and Peace > Middle East
- Developing Countries > Middle EastSocial ChangeWar, Conflict and Peace
- Sexuality and Reproduction > Sexual minorities (2SLGBTQ+ people)
- Social Studies > Development/Global Issues
- Diversity > Diversity in CommunitiesIdentity
- History and Citizenship Education > Issues in Society Today
Credits
- director
- Elle Flanders
- editor
- Cathy Gulkin
- visual design
- Cynthia Madansky
- cinematographer
- Christopher Romeike
- composer
- David Wall
- producer
- Elle Flanders
- Peter Starr
- executive producer
- Silva Basmajian
- associate producer
- Tamara Romanchuk
- Dara Gellman
- location sound
- Tully Chen
- sound design
- Jane Tattersall
- Kathy Choi
- Jean Bot
- editorial consultant
- Cynthia Madansky
- dialogue editing
- Yuval Saglv
- additional editing
- Yuval Saglv
- post-production on-line
- Andrew Mandziuk
- title design
- Cynthia Madansky
- Geoffrey Pugen
- script editor
- Judith Flanders
- additional camera
- Cala Levin
- Elle Flanders
- photo stills
- Tamara Moyez
- assistant editor
- Tanyss Obonsawin
- Paula Kaston
- mixing studio
- Casablanca Magnetic North
- re-recording
- Dino Pigat
- assistant
- Jocelyne Tremblay
- website design
- Stephanie Marshall
- production accountant
- Nancy Gomes
- legal services
- Kate Henderson
- Michael Levine
- Tara Leigh Parker
- production coordinator
- Anousheh Showleh
- translator
- Dorit Abramovitch
- Asher Al Koby
- Ayeda Ayed
- Smadar Carmon
- Tariq Ibrahime
- Hannan Kashou
- Hanadi Loubani
- Taghreed Meqdadi
- Eran Tzin
- Mirav Tzin
Awards
- Public Award for Best Feature Documentary - with a cash prize of 3,048Euros ($4,300Cdn approx)Festival international de films de Femmes
- Honourable Mention - Best Canadian Feature-Length Narrative or DocumentaryInside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
- Michael J. Berg Documentary Award for Excellence in DocumentaryFrameline- International LGBT Film Festival
- Silver Conch Award for Best Documentary Feature Length FilmInternational Film Festival
- Audience Award for Best DocumentaryMostra Internacional de Films de Dones
- Honourable MentionWomen Film Festival "La Mo-Viola"
- Honorable Mention - Category: Social Issues International Film and Video Festival