Festroia

Monday, June 9------Celebrated Israeli director Amos Kollek arrives at Festroia later today, in preparation for the screening of his new film RESTLESS in the Official Competition here.

The director, the son of long time Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek (about whom he made a documentary in the 1980s) was born in Jerusalem in 1947, a year before the State of Israel was declared. He is a renaissance man, who has directed feature films and shorts, written five novels and is a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines.

In 1984, he turned to directing films, becoming Israel´s best known film export, and working with such celebrated actresses as Hannah Schuygulla, Kathy Bates, Sally Kirkland, Faye Dunaway and Audrey Tatou.

In 1998, his film SUE won both the FIPRESCI Prize and the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival. Two years later, his comedy drama FAST FOOD FAST WOMEN was awarded the Ecumenical Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, where it also competed for the Palme d´Or.

His latest film RESTLESS is the story of a middle-aged artist, who left behind his wife and young son twenty years before, who has a reconciliation with his son, who has just been released from the Israeli army. The pain and anger of father-son relations gives way to compassion and forgiveness, as the two men try to find a way to tame their "restless" natures and find a sense of family and acceptance. The film won the Association of Art Cinemas prize at this year´s Berlin Film Festival.

Sandy Mandelberger, Festroia Dailies Editor