The second Israeli documentary film festival in Budapest opened with “Dolphin boy”- the story of a young boy from Kallansua treated for trauma at Eilat’s Dolphin reef. Dr. Vered Glickman, director of the first Israeli cultural institute, is focusing on one goal: paying tribute to what she calls “a new wave in the Israeli documentary scene”..
It seems that for the global Jewish community, Israel represents the best fertilized soil for the most progressive Jewish approaches; Jews growing up in a Jewish state actually manifest Herzel’s vision of a healthy and rather casual sense of Judaism, as they are granted the privilege of observing their surroundings with sufficient confidence. This is how their artistic statements naturally resonate in the Jewish world; We could practically follow the heart-bits of the Israeli-Jewish identity, growing up from a naïve baby to a raged adolescent, up to a settled, matured realist today. This festival doesn’t bring up popular political issues of human rights, nor does it conserve a repertoire of advocacy. What it does do is portray the story of people in Israel through their individual stories. Dr. Glickman acknowledges the fact her Israelity in the Hungarian Jewish scene has it disadvantage, but she rather embrace the advantages. I do not believe a young Jewish community, which is just dusting its way back after years of oppression could overlap such cultural gap so quickly, and generate a healthy connection to Israel without responsible guidance, which I believe Dr. Glickman provides. Being a Jew in Budapest is a confusing state to be in. A major portion of the Hungarian Jewish identity is related to Hungarian Jewish history and the holocaust; Looking ahead to be connected with the controversial Israel is not that fashionable: A dominating right wing regime in Hungary adopts a somewhat contradicting liberal approach, as acceptable in Europe, and though marching the march of the “clean white Hungary” (no Jews no Roman etc.), it finds it easy to protest against Israeli cultural activities (showcasing Israeli culture to Hungarians) as hypocritical and inappropriate due to well known reasons. The Israeli documentary film festival is one of the ICI’s many initiations in the course of maintaining a new adult relationship between Israel and the young Hungarian; It encourages the community to join us Israelis in our realistic point of view on Israel today: as it is attractive and magical, it keeps a strong mythology for us, but also is challenges us to keep up with hard questions. Keep discussions open, Eyes open, but also an open heart.
