THE DOVE FLYER

Nissim Dayan (108min, Israel, 2014)
Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew with English Subtitles
Narrative
Mid-Atlantic Premiere

Based on the autobiographical blockbuster novel by Eli Amir, this sweeping epic recalls a lost and cherished time when over 125,000 Jews lived in Iraq. We follow the teenage Kabi as he navigates the final years of the community’s existence in Iraq, before their expulsion and resettlement to 1950s Israel. When his uncle Hizkel is imprisoned, Kabi sets off to find him, joining the Zionist underground movement. The film beautifully illustrates the complex existence of the Jewish community in Iraq, which had strong ties to the surrounding Muslim world and Arabic culture, yet simultaneously feared for its safety.