By Naman Ramachandran
Jul 28, 2020 5:25am
U.K. based HanWay Films will handle international sales on Israeli auteur Amos Gitai’s new film “Laila In Haifa,” set to bow in competition at the Venice Film Festival in September. HanWay will also represent 25 films from Gitai’s extensive body of award-winning work.
With an ensemble cast of both Israeli and Palestinian actors, “Laila in Haifa” (A Night in Haifa) follows the interweaving stories of five women over one night in a club in the port town of Haifa.
The film is a co-production between France’s AGAV Films and CDP and Israel’s United King Film in association with Patrick Jeanneret, Andrea Di Nardo and Ruth and Stephen Hendel.
Gitai said, “We are delighted at the announcement that Laila in Haifa is selected this year as part of the Venice Film Festival. This is a special moment after the anxieties, economic worries, viruses, political viruses of the past year for cinema to speak up, make us feel and think. Our film is (as most films are) an assembly of new and experienced actresses and actors alongside team members of Israeli and Palestinian origin. After all, the stage is the creative meeting space where we are able to speak out in the language of film.”
“I am also personally delighted with the decision we took with Jeremy Thomas and his team at HanWay to have 25 of my films to be represented internationally by HanWay,” Gitai added. “This is a summary of many years of friendship and mutual respect. This year it is 40 years since I concluded my architecture studies and decided as a civic gesture to be film builder.”
HanWay’s Jeremy Thomas said: “I’m delighted that HanWay are handling ‘Laila In Haifa,’ the important new film from Amos Gitai, my friend of many years. We are proud to represent Amos’ unique library of work, a singular voice in world cinema.”
Titles from the Gitai back catalogue set to be handled by HanWay include “Kadosh”, “Esther,” “The Petrified Garden,” “A Tramway in Jerusalem” and “Rabin, the Last Day.” HanWay has been growing its film library, and recently launched ‘HanWay – The Collections,’ in which Gitai’s films will figure.