MISAFA LESAFA

"You don't speak a mother tongue, it flows out of you. With an acquired language, you must constantly be on your guard. Sometimes I wake up with the fear that the Hebrew I learned at such great pains would fade away and vanish." (Aharon Appelfeld)

For centuries Hebrew was a sacred language, reserved for scriptures and prayers. Today it is the language of everyday life in Israel. But if Hebrew has been able to take over in a few decades, this has not always been without violence upon the other languages spoken before.

Ten women and men - poets, singers, writers - speak of the relationship between Hebrew and the language of their childhood. Their roots lie in Russia, Hungary, Morocco, Germany and Palestine. When they arrived in Israel they had to loose their mother tongues in order to adapt to Israel. But that kind of loss can never be permanent. The music of a language will echo on, even when it is no longer spoken.

"A whole composition with a clear, close-fitting structure and impressive cinematic qualities. Between the language of pictures and the language of words, a statement is made that is simultaneously universal and Israeli. The power of the film partly stems from the meticulous selection of figures and places, cultural sensitivity and aesthetic discipline." The Jury, DocAviv Festival 2004 / Best Film in Israeli competition