Located on the shores of the Colombian Caribbean, Cartagena is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Its old city is an architectural gem and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Every year, the city hosts the El Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena or FICCI, the oldest international film festival on the continent and one of the most important and prestigious in Latin America. The festival features the participation of senior figures from the regional and global film industry, along with many events, screenings, symposia and diverse cultural events.
In cooperation with the festival directors, the Israeli Embassy in Colombia, headed by Ambassador Gali Dagan, held an Israeli film festival this year, honoring the iconic actress, director and screenwriter Ronit Elkabetz, of blessed memory, at the 62nd edition of FICCI.
Elkabetz’s brother, director and actor Shlomi Elkabetz, and his partner, filmmaker Yuval Aharoni, participated in the festival, with each conducting a master class as part of the festival events.
The opening tribute to Ronit Elkabetz took place on March 23, in one of the most historically significant places in the city, La Plaza de La Proclamacion, located between the city’s cathedral and the palace, where the city’s independence from Spain was declared in 1811. The festival organizers built an improvised open-air movie theater with a giant screen. The festival was launched with the screening of Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz’s joint film: “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem.” After the film, a question-and-answer session with Shlomi Elkabetz was held.
During the rest of the festival, the films “The Band’s Visit” and “Black Notebooks” (Parts I and II), Shlomi Elkabetz’s documentary about him and his sister, were screened. At the conclusion of each film, a Q&A forum was held with the viewers, with the participation of Shlomi Elkabetz.