December 2, 2014

When the established documentary filmmaker Yariv Mozer decided to direct a feature film, he didn’t want it to be just any old story...

Dimanche 30 novembre 2014

LE JARDIN DES ARBRES MORTS 

Basé sur une nouvelle du livre « The Garden of Dead Trees » de Yossi Avni Levy, premier long métrage de Yariv Mozer, déjà remarqué pour ses courts métrages et documentaires. Le très charismatique Yoav Reuveni icarne cet étudiant hanté par les souvenirs de son passé et les moments inoubliables lorsqu’il était attiré par d’autres hommes : Nir, son ami de l’armée ou le garçon allemand qui dormait au-dessus de lui dans une auberge de jeunesse. En être ou ne pas en être ? Faire le deuil de son homosexualité, c’est impossible. Un succès mondial.

November 21, 2014

Snails In The Rain arrives on DVD in the UK on November 24th, courtesy of TLA Releasing, and we’ve teamed up with them to give away three copies in this competition. 

In this intelligent and emotional Israeli film set in 1989 Tel Aviv, Boaz (incredibly sexy male model Yoav Reuveni)  is a linguistics student committed to his loving girlfriend, Noa. But soon Boaz is questioning his life when he begins receiving a series of obsessive love letters from another man. They expose the inner world of their author, who is deeply closeted — and knows plenty about him, including Boaz’s past attraction to other men.

For your chance to win one of three copies of Snails In The Rain on DVD that we’ve got to give away, answer the question below and fill in your details, then press submit! The competition closes on December 4th 2014, so get answering and good luck!

Nov 4, 2014

Every day on his way to University, linguistics student Boaz stops at the Post Office to check his mailbox to see if there is a letter telling him he has been awarded a Scholarship to continue his studies in Jerusalem. One day however, inside the box he finds a letter he has not been expecting, is a note from a secret male admirer who says that watching Boaz from afar is the highlight of his day.

★★★★

Oct 27, 2014

The acting debut of smoking hot Israeli model Yoav Reuveni is a taut thriller

In Tel Aviv in 1989, linguistics student Boaz (model Yoav Reuveni, in his acting debut) starts getting letters from a closeted secret admirer who knows all about Boaz, including his past relationships with men. Increasingly obsessive, the letters affect his relationship with his loving girlfriend (Moran Rosenblatt), and threaten to make Boaz into a mad paranoid, seeing everyone around him as the possible letter-writer.

Snails in the Rain, by director Yariv Mozer, is distributed by TLA, and will be released November 11.

Oct 13, 2014

El canal cultural de México (Mexico's Cultural Channel) Canal 22
Un hombre enfrenta dudas sexuales durante su madurez en “El jardín de los árboles muertos”

September 18, 2014

Among the films screening at Cinema Diverse is Snails in the Rain, an intelligent and emotional Israeli film set in 1989 Tel Aviv, Boaz (incredibly sexy male model Yoav Reuveni) is a linguistics student committed to his girlfriend, Noa. But soon Boaz begins receiving a series of love letters from another man. They expose the inner world of their author, who is deeply closeted, but knows plenty about Boaz, including his past attraction to other men.

April 23, 2014

Liebesbriefe eines Unbekannten

„Somebody loves me, I wonder who
I wonder who he can be
Somebody loves me, I wish I knew
Who can he be worries me“

Es ist inzwischen schon eine ganze Weile her, dass George Gershwin mit „Somebody Loves Me“ eines seiner bekanntesten Lieder komponierte. Für Boaz (Yoav Reuveni) ist der Text aber genauso aktuell wie 1924, als das Stück veröffentlicht wurde. Mit Texten kennt sich der ausgesprochen gut aussehende junge Mann auch aus, studiert er doch Linguistik an der Universität in Tel Aviv. Es sind jedoch weniger die wissenschaftlichen Schriften, die ihm in der letzten Zeit den Schlaf rauben, sondern solche sehr privater Natur: Ein unbekannter Mann schreibt ihm anonyme Briefe, in denen er Boaz seine Liebe gesteht.

April 23, 2014

Yossi Avni-Levy (1962) is een Israëlische schrijver en diplomaat, die bekend is om zijn korte verhalen die zich afspelen binnen de joodse homogemeenschap. De eerste bundel van de uit een Iraanse moeder en een Afghaanse vader geboren Avni, ‘The Garden of Dead Trees’ (1995), zorgde voor de nodige controverse, en niet alleen vanuit de hoek van de orthodoxe sefardische joden. Ook de Israëlische gay community bekritiseerde zijn werk, omdat Avni beschrijft dat het binnen zijn eigen (sefardisch-joodse) gemeenschap nog steeds niet vanzelfsprekend is dat je als homoseksueel uit de kast kunt komen. Velen leven een dubbel leven of onderdrukken hun homoseksuele gevoelens. Documentairemaker Yariv Mozer – bekend van onder meer de film ‘The Invisible Men’ (2012), over homoseksualiteit binnen het Israëlische leger – raakte dusdanig geïnspireerd door het werk van Yossi Avni-Levy, dat hij besloot ‘The Garden of Dead Trees’ te gebruiken als basis voor zijn eerste speelfilm, ‘Snails in the Rain’ (2013).

April 19, 2014

This rather intriguing drama about repressed homosexual feelings and desire acutely brings back an era when lust was often hidden and unrequited. The movie was based on a short story by Yossi Avni Levy who is (most intriguingly) currently the Israeli Ambassador in Serbia.  It was directed and written by Yariv Moser (who co-starred in it too) best known for his two excellent documents 'My First War' and 'The Invisible Men'.  Moser's decision to cast first-time actors paid off well as Mr Reuveni in particular turned in a pitch perfect turn as the perturbed Boaz.

And knowing how to keep his audience completely glued to the screen Moser heightens the air of homo eroticism with having Boaz constantly take showers at the drop of a hat too.

Highly recommended.

March 13, 2014

"New Queer Cinema" goes to Israel and takes up one more little Hitchcock in your hand luggage: Love Letters from a stranger is a short, but very effective thriller about a young man who, anonymous letters and the feelings they evoke in him is existentially shaken to its identity.

Während in den Filmen Alfred Hitchcocks, dem Mozer manches zu verdanken hat, der Protagonist oftmals gegen unbekannte Angreifer um sein Leben kämpft, wird hier Boaz wesentlich radikaler bedroht - nämlich mit dem Verlust seiner bisherigen Identität. Die kunstvoll geschriebenen erotischen Briefe wühlen ihn auf, verunsichern ihn, trüben seine Beziehung, lassen seine heile und heteronormative Welt zerbröckeln, machen ihn schlussendlich gar paranoid: Hinter jedem unbedarften Blick eines Mannes im Bibliothekslesesaal oder auf der Straße oder im Bus könnte sich der Verehrer verbergen. So erzeugt Liebesbriefe eines Unbekannten eine ganz eigene Spannung: mit diesen Blick-Wechseln, bei denen man nie sicher sein kann, wer gerade der Beobachter und wer der Beobachtete ist - und ob sie überhaupt stattfinden.

March 13, 2014

Die Geschichte wird in viele kurze Alltagsszenen aufgesplittet, in denen in der Regel wenig Bemerkenswertes passiert. Boaz tastet sich beim Essen mit Noa oder in schlafloser Nacht in sich gekehrt an diese neuen Gefühle heran, die ihn freuen und quälen. Dabei weiß er nicht, dass seine Freundin die Briefe ebenfalls liest. Die äußerlich so unscheinbare Handlung entwickelt eine starke Spannung, in der sich Boaz' stiller Konflikt intensiv mitteilt. Die Atmosphäre wirkt sehr authentisch und unmittelbar. Weil Boaz nicht weiß, wer der Autor der Briefe ist, und sich Noa abwartend verhält, muss er allein entscheiden, welchen Weg er sexuell einschlagen wird. Der Film hält diese innere Abwägung virtuos in der Schwebe, so dass ihr Ausgang, der erst am Schluss verraten wird, nicht vorausgeahnt werden kann. Das Fotomodell Yoav Reuveni wird wohl primär wegen seines attraktiven Aussehens für seine erste Spielfilmrolle gecastet worden sein. Aber seine zurückgenommene, weitgehend nonverbale Darstellung überzeugt auch über die gewünschte erotische Wirkung hinaus. 

JANUARY 27, 2014

SNAILS IN THE RAIN IS A COMPELLING PORTRAIT OF A COUPLE IN CRISIS.

Snails in the Rain (the title becomes clear only at the very last scene) is a terrific work of art; a cinematic portrait of a couple at a point of crisis. The drama hinges on two axes: the girlfriend’s reaction to the discovery of the anonymous letters, and – of course – the identity of the writer.

Military life and homo-eroticism are a guaranteed cinematic crowd puller. Young, fit men in testosterone-charged situations; physical contact, shower scenes, combat action and macho banter. It is the stuff of many gay men’s fantasy. To his credit, film director Yariv Mozer captures the erotic mystique of army life in a beautiful and understated manner.

The film’s weakness lies in the linguistic sphere – an irony, given that Boaz is a student of linguistics. It is unavoidable, I concede, that many of the cultural references would be lost on a non-Israeli audience (and there are several inserts of Israeli television programs from the 1980s which will have Israelis heaving a sigh of nostalgia), but there is no excuse for the numerous clumsy – not to mention incorrect – translations from Hebrew to English.

As the hands of the clock on the wall crawl towards the deadline, Boaz finds himself in the kitchen. The inevitable question floats in the air and brings the drama to a climax: will he or won’t he flick the light switch three times?

My lips are sealed.

November 18, 2013

A lot of people say that Israel is one of the best places to be gay and that Tel Aviv is one of the freest, most welcoming places for LGBT people, with a vibrant and open gay culture. However if the gay-themed films coming out of Israel are anything to go by, there’s still a lot of challenges for LGBT people in the country.

Nov 13, 2013

Though Snails in the Rain treads ground ever more familiar in LGBT cinema, it does so from an intriguing starting point, even as it avoids dealing with any religious or cultural issues that might seem integral to the setting. It’s almost refreshing, though, in that way; instead, the focus is pared down to these two people, both in crisis, struggling to deal with the same thing from different angles. Softly affecting, Snails in the Rain is a compelling, reflective experience.

November 6, 2013

Snails in the Rain is an interesting exploration of sexuality and obsession. With a strong central performance from Yoav Reuveni the film will be sure to garner lots of critical-acclaim before it’s granted a DVD release. It’s refreshing to see a different take on sexuality conflict and Snails in the Rain doesn’t fall into the usual pitfalls and clichés. Snails in the Rain is an intelligent, intriguing and satisfying drama with a dark edge that will keep you gripped. - See more at: http://www.entertainment-focus.com/gay-focus-review/snails-in-the-rain-review/#sthash.mlJK9h0V.dpuf

November, 2013

What can be said is that this is a film ingrained with a prevailing air of the sexual shame and climate of fear of pre-Pride days; that of "outwardly straight" men getting it on with each other in darkened woods, a professor forever closeted to the world, let alone a lead character clearly unbalanced by rampant thoughts of the male physique in all of its seductive form. But that said, there's equally no denying that in Yariv Mozer's accomplished hands this marks a captivating study of burgeoning homosexuality; that of a thriller styled psychological drama that in its beautifully poetic way poignantly illustrates one man's dormant heart being awoken to the sexual diversity of life - whether he desires it, or not. Simply enthralling. 

June 9, 2013

סצינת הסיום של הסרט הזה, היא בלתי נשכחת בעיני בשתיקתה, בפתרון האמיתי שהציעה בכפוף לתסריט ובחוזק שלה. אחת המרגשות שראיתי לאחרונה. זה גם מחבר אותי לסיכום הופעתם של זוג השחקנים הראשיים של הסרט, אותם לא הכרתי עד עכשיו, אבל הוא יוותר חקוק בזיכרון הפילמוגרפי שלי לזמן רב בשל איכות הופעתם, יואב ראובני [בתפקיד הגבר המקבל את מכתבי האהבה] ומורן רוזנבלט [בתפקיד בת זוגו המסרבת להרפות], שניהם יצרו כאן דיוקן מסוכסך רגשית מרשים במיוחד, הופעתם משדרת סוג של כאב שקט, חודר ונחוש, כמו גיבוריו של גוטמן, תיאור הדמויות בידיהן הוא מלאכת מחשבת של דמויות החיות את חייהן מתוך הכלת הכאב ולא בהכרח פתרונו. זו אחת ההופעות המרגשות של תיאור מערכת יחסים זוגית מורכבת על כביש ללא מוצא.

"שבלולים בגשם" יזכיר לכם עידן אחר, דיון אחר ברגש מתהווה, והוא הולם בכל החושים לפיכך ועושה זאת בשקט ובעדינות נפלאה במיוחד. אל תחמיצו.

May 2013

Consuming paranoia reigns in "Snails in the Rain"... This is an excellent and involving film from Israel which reflects the many conflicting layers of despair as the hidden realities of relationships within the confines of higher education propels true feelings to surface forcing the conflicting main character to find himself in the process, as he tries his hardest to blend in with family and society's expectations.