2015 CLOSING FILM – VALLEY

SVA Theatre (Silas) – 6:30pm
Sunday, October 18th

86 min | Drama | Israel | 2014
US Premiere
VALLEY (Emek) By Sophie Artus
In attendance: Sophie Artus (Writer/Director)

SYNOPSIS:

Migdal Ha’emek, an isolated little town in the North of Israel. Josh (17) is a very aggressive kid, disturbed, he likes to be with his little dog. Linoy (17) dreams to be a famous actress but no one support her. David (17), a new kid in town, surrounds himself with books and music blames his father for his mother’s death.
‪This is the story of three sensitive teenagers who are forced to deal with violence: violence at home, at school. A story of friendship, love and hate, where the adolescents’ world is revealed as cruel and beautiful; a world where the desire to die or kill and the will to live will define their fate. ‬

DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY:

Sophie Artus was born in France in 1971, she immigrated to Israel in 1997. In 2003, Artus graduated from Tel Aviv University, with a Master’s Degree in Cinema. Her short film “Bon Voyage”, won the Audience Award at Beijing film festival in 2004, and was received with great acclaim at the Barcelona Independent Film Festival, Molodist Kiev International FF, Dakino and much more. In 2003 Artus won a Development Grant at the Mediterranean cinema Film Festival (Montpellier-France) for her screnplay “Oranges”, and a Scholarship and Residence at the CECI which granted by the CNC and the French cultural Ministry.
“VALLEY” is Sophie Artus first full length feature. The film is dealing with youth violence. The story was inspired by Artus’ own experience as a high school teacher, working with teenagers.
Sophie Artus also graduated from University of Science and Technology of Languedoc (France) with Master’s Degree in Biology (MSc) and from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a Teaching Diploma in Science.