Directed by Sami Shalom-Chetrit
Documentary
United States | 2014 | 63 min
In Hebrew
with English subtitles
A cinematic portrait of Algerian-born Moroccan-Israeli poet Erez Bitton, recipient of last year’s Pomegranate Award for Lifetime Achievement and the first Sephardi to win the Israel Prize in Literature. The film explores the social, cultural, and political experience of Moroccan and other immigrants to Israel through Bitton’s poetry and life milestones, especially his tragic loss of eyesight at age 11.
Sami Shalom-Chetrit
Sami Shalom Chetrit, a scholar, poet, writer and filmmaker.
Chetrit was born in Morocco, raised in Israel and lives in New York City. He’s been writing and publishing poetry and scholarly work for thirty years. His English-translation collection of poetry “Jews” was published recently by Cervana Brava, Boston. Chetrit produced and directed three documentary films: “The Black Panthers (in Israel) Speak”, Az’i Ayima (Come Mother), and recently “Shattered Rhymes: the Life and poetry of Erez Bitton”. Prof. Chetrit teaches Hebrew and Middle Eastern studies at Queens College, CUNY.