The Garden of Eden

Directed by Ran Tal

This poetic ensemble of personal stories converging over the course of a full year is a cinematic portrait of contemporary Israel: multifaceted, diverse, contradictory, complex. At Sakhne, one of the most popular parks in Israel, a varied collection of characters—recent immigrants, Zionist pioneers, Christians, Arabs and non-believers—coexist in an intricate microcosm of Israeli society. There are stories of camaraderie, loneliness, tolerance, intolerance, alienation and love. And each one, despite religion and politics, reminds us that we are, after all, one and the same. As summer turns to fall and winter, then spring, stories renew themselves with each new visitor that passes through the park gates.