Duration: 73 mins
Desert Hearts
Donna Deitch, an awards winning documentarist was also the first out lesbian director who paved the way for many others with her debut feature film “Desert Hearts”. The film is based on a novel by Jane Rule written in 1964.
Helen Shaver is starring as Vivian Bell, a 35 years old professor from Columbia University who’s going to Reno to get divorced. She arrives at the farm of Frances Parker (Audra Lindley) in order to stay the required 6 weeks before she can become a Nevada resident and get her divorce.
In the farm Vivian catches the attention of Frances adopted daughter Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) an out and confident lesbian. Cay works at a casino and is a decade younger than Vivian. At first Vivan is trying to stay strong against Cay’s shameless flirting but when the emotions flood over she cannot resist anymore and the two end up in each other’s arms.
Already as its debut release back in 1985 “Desert Hearts” delighted audiences in the most prestigious film festivals around the globe- Locarno, Toronto and Sundance and now you have a chance to get swept into the romance set against the desert backdrop and the country soundtrack that accompanies the film in an original and high quality 35mm version.
Sally
Sally Ride was the first American woman who went to space, but under the amazing career she kept a secret. Sally had a romantic relationship with a woman for 27 years.
For the first time Tam O’Shaughnessy, Sally’s partner, reveals their secret affair and the price they had to pay so that Sally could fulfill her career.
Director Cristina Costantini brings to the big screen the unbelievable story of Astronaut Sally Ride and gives us a glimpse of her life outside the headlines in the papers and the talk shows Sally appeared in- her journey outside of earth’s atmosphere and the landing back into very conservative USA of the 80’s and the sexist and LGBTQ-phobic environment of NASA.
The film reveals the love story of two fascinating women, and the legacy that Sally Ride left that inspires many girls and women to dream of the stars and beyond.
Courtesy of Disney+
Hot Milk
Straight from the official competition of the Berlin Film Festival comes the debut directorial of the excellent screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz who wrote the Oscar winning screenplay for “Ida” and the lesbian drama “Disobedience”.
“Hot Milk” is a story of a mother and daughter unfolding during a hot Spanish summer and is based on the critically acclaimed novel by Deborah Levy. Sofia (Emma Mackey, star of “Sex Education”) is taking care of her demanding mother Rose (veteran actress Fiona Shaw) who is wheelchair bound. They come to Spain to meet with a local doctor (Vincent Perez) who is known for his unconventional treatments to find a potential medicine for the mother’s mysterious illness.
The visit takes a turn when the young girl meets a German woman on the beach (Vicky Krieps “Love Me Tender”) and allows herself for the first time to test her boundaries and experience sexual enjoyment for the first time on her way to unshackle herself from her mother and towards self-fulfillment and adolescence.
In her debut directorial Rebecca Lenkiewicz explores the interpersonal relationships between a mother and her daughter and creates a thrilling psychological drama that burns itself under the skin. Mackey and Shaw are excellent in the leading roles.
The Black Hole
A feminist rom-com which is also a type of trash horror movie and 80’s style erotic movie that includes sci-fi and grotesque aliens as well.
In a small Estonian town, three stories converge: Sirje and her friend voluntarily sign up for a scientific experiment away from earth. Jüri falls for his lascivious neighbour. Uma, a fearless bodybuilder, dreams of a world without abusive men so that she could help her partner Marillis. Along the way the characters will have to deal with aliens, a giant spider and an Austrian door to door salesman of vacuums who always wears shorts.
The clever and multi layered script written by director Moonika Siimets provocs thoughts of the reality in which we live in and at the same time provide us with a cinematic piece that is pure fun.
1 Girl Infinite
Two teenage girls live together in the frenzied and colorful town of Changsha in China. When one of them gets attached to a drug dealer, the other girl’s love for her will cause her to risk everything to keep her loved one beside her.
The film is based on a real life experience of director and film star Lilly Hu.
“1 Girl Infinite” is a live portrait of current youth and the nature of puppy love, obsession and lust. Hu’s hometown of Changsha, with its beauty parlors, internet cafes, shopping centers and hotels is a character all on its own. It is a bustling city with something interesting happening in every corner.
Inside all this hubbub is an intimate and personal creation that is well made and gives us very impressive performances of both its heroines.
Love Letters
Please be aware – the screening at 24/10/2025 is NOT in Tel-Aviv Cinematheque.
It’s 2014 and Nadia (Monia Chokri) and Céline (Ella Rumpf) are expecting their first child.
37 years old Nadia is carrying the baby. Her partner, Céline, is a 32 years old musician and a DJ. Céline is still trying to find her place and a sense of legitimacy amongst her judgmental friends, her mother (a renowned pianist who spends most of her time travelling the world) and the French law which isn’t very forthcoming towards same-sex couples who choose to be parents.
Director and screenwriter Alice Douard based the script on her personal experiences when she went through the exact same process on her way to motherhood. With a loving look and plenty of empathy she explores her characters, their couple’s conflicts and personal dilemmas.
César award winners Ella Rumpf (“Raw”, “Marguerite’s Theorem”) and Monia Chokri (“Love Me Tender” and Xavier Dolan’s films “Lawrence Anyway” “Heartbeats”) portray the roles of Céline and Nadia with sincerity, love and plenty of empathy and gives us the feel of two women in love who undergo an alternative and powerful experience- this film proves once again just how great are those two actresses are.
In association with the Embassy of France & Institut français de Tel Aviv
A Second Life
Please be aware – the screening at 26/10/2025 is NOT in Tel-Aviv Cinematheque.
After she set the screen on fire in the masterpiece “Titane” (2021 Winner of Cannes Film Festival), actress Agathe Rousselle returns to the big screen with a small, intimate and moving film.
Elisabeth (Rousselle) is recovering from a breakup from her partner. She dives headfirst into her work as a concierge in Paris and accompanies rude tourists to their Airbnb apartments that they have rented for the Olympic Games. This is a stressful job that requires her to travel all over the city. Her sole repose is disconnecting her hearing aid and staring at Monet’s “Water Lilies”.
Everything changes when she meets a young and energetic tourist (Alex Lawther “The End of the Fucking World”) while the city around her is buzzing with energy for the Olympic Games, and he leads Elisabeth on unexpected adventures.
“A Second Life” is a piece about the unexpected connections we make through life. The film touches on subjects such as mental health and disabilities with a lot of charm. This film was made in the streets of Paris and manages to capture the true magic of the French capital, without all the cliches.
Pride vs. Prejudice
While the rights of the LGBTQ community are being attacked worldwide, this moving Canadian documentary emphasizes how one community fought and won. 2025 marks the 20 th anniversary of the Canadian marriage equality law, something that was made possible due to the supreme court ruling on the Vriend case. The film also emphasizes how important a free and unbiased court is.
Delwin Vriend never wanted to become a human rights activist or a LGBTQ activist, he just wanted to live his life in peace. When he objected to the fact that his academic work of place let him go due to his sexual orientation, he began a chain reaction that affected the lives of LGBTQ people not only in Alberta or Canada- but worldwide.
“Pride vs Prejudice” delves into the backstage happenings of one of the most important trials in LGBTQ history- Veriend vs. Alberta. For a fascinating 80 minutes the film describes the ups and downs and twists that led to the trial.
This documentary follows the work of the dedicated lawyers who led the trail against the province of Alberta and eventually led to a groundbreaking verdict of the Canadian supreme court in 1998.
In association with the Embassy of Canada
The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival
Please be aware – the screening at 27/10/2025 is NOT in Tel-Aviv Cinematheque.
Tamara De Lempicka was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century- a mother, a feminist, a style icon and a proud bisexual woman who celebrated her sexuality. Lempicka fled the war and became a symbol because of her artistic view. She embodied the spirit of Art Deco and painted high society women from a feminine perspective, erotic and daring and full of passion. Encouraged by her grandmother, young Tamara was discovered as a shining talent when she combined cubism, classicism and surrealism in order to reinvent the female form- not as a sexual object, but as a heroine.
In her fascinating documentary, director Julie Rubio dives into the colorful biography of De Lempicka and uncovers her unusual life with never before seen home movies. The result is a thrilling movie about a fascinating artist and woman.
In association with the Polish Institute Tel Aviv
