Jaffa - The Orange's Clockwork

The film is a moving and critical, yet balanced, multi-layered political essay that unpeels the complicated and untold story of the invention of the world´s most famous fruit that originated in Palestine in the mid-19th century and was named after the sea port of Jaffa, where it was first produced for export. (Aviva-Berlin.de)

Who doesn’t know it, the Jaffa-Orange? Since decades it has been tasty, healthy and famous. Stars like Ingrid Bergmann and Louis Armstrong posed for it – “Jaffa” was the Coca Cola of the juices. The history of prominent seaport Jaffa, whose remains are a neighborhood of Tel Aviv today, stretches back thousands of years. Till the beginning of the 20th century it was one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities in the Middle East – culturally, economically and politically. For centuries oranges were cultivated in its hinterland and exported via the city’s harbor.

In Jaffa, The Orange’s Clockwork Eyal Sivan traces the orange-brand on the basis of a unique composition of archival material. He shows old photos, early film-footage, commercials, political posters, and paintings on the orange to Israeli and Palestinian intellectuals and workers from the citrus-industry. They remember, reflect and analyze their personal and their country’s history using the example of the Jaffa-Orange. The different narratives complement each other, break myths and write a history beyond nationalist historiography. At the same time the visual self-manifestation of Zionist brand “Jaffa” shows the systematic creation of a legend.
Eyal Sivan, IL/D/F/B 2009, 88 min, Hebrew/Arabic/English/French with German subtitles, Video 

Director  Eyal Sivan | Camera  David Zarif, Rémi Lainé, Shafir Sarousi, Vincent Fooy | Script Eyal Sivan |  Editing Audrey Maurion | Sound Oren Raviv, Jean-Jacques Quinet, Asher Saraga | Production Osnat Trabelsi for Trabelsi Productions, Arik Bernstein for Alma Films | Coproduction  Luna Blue Film (Serge Kestemont), The Factory (Frank Eskenazi, Hortense Quitard) | In Cooperation with France 5 (Carlos Pinsky, Barbara Hurel), WDR (Jutta Krug), Channel 8 (Liran Atzmor), RTBF (Wilbur Leguebe), Radio–Canada (Jean Pelletier, Georges Amar), Télévision Suisse Romande (Irène Challand, Gaspard Lamunière)

director | director's statement | festivals | awards

mec film is holding German rights only, for festivals please contact Trabelsi Productions , for all other requests Cat&Docs.

Screenings in Germany

• 28.+30.1. 11 Karlstorkino Heidelberg
• 27.1.-2.2. 11 Tilsiter Lichtspiele Berlin
• 23.+26.1. 11 Cinema Muenster
• 22.+30.1. 11 Gasteig Munich
• 2.-7.12.2010 Neisse Filmfestival Großhennersdorf
• 02. 12. 2010 Filmpalette Cologne
• 10. 11. 2010 Cineworld Recklinghausen
• 10. 11. 2010 Documentary and Videofestival Kassel
• 30.-31.10.10 3001 Kino Hamburg
• 24.-26.10.10 Kommunales Kino Hannover
• 23.-24.10.10 Werkstattkino München
• 21.-27.10.10 Filmgalerie Regensburg
• 15.-24.20.10 Independent Filmfestival Ausgburg
• 14.-20.10.10 Kommunales Kino Hannover
• 14.-20.10.10 Eiszeit Kino Berlin
• 14.-20.10.10 3001 Kino Hamburg
• 14. 10. 2010 Eiszeit Berlin, in the presence of the director
• 13. 10. 2010 Koki Hannover, in the presence of the director
• 12. 10. 2010 3001 Kino Hamburg, in the presence of the director
• 11. 10. 2010 ZKM Karlsruhe, in the presence of the director
• 10. 10. 2010 Filmforum Cologne, Premiere in Cooperation with WDR, in the presence of the director
• 09. 10. 2010 Independent Filmfestival Osnabrueck
• 16. 09. 2010 Cinematheque Leipzig, Preview in Kooperation mit eurient e.V.
• 01. 06. 2010 Globale Film Festival, Berlin, in the presence of the director