Cinemascope

This is huge here: Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer will play the female lead against Tom Hanks in “Angels and Demons” (a sort-of-sequel to “The Da-Vinci Code”). France’s Audrey Tautu was the the female lead in “Code”.
Zurer is a huge star in Israel, and a magnificent and moving actress. See her as the heartbreaking titular character in “Nina’s Tragedies”. She also originated the demanding role on TV’s “In Treatment” (now remade by Melissa George in HBO’s American shot-for-shot remake). After being cast as Eric Bana’s wife in Steven Spielberg’s “Munich” Zurer packed her husband and son and relocated to Hollywood, in pursuit of an international career. A minor and disappointing role in “Vantage Point” was her last achievement, but now comes this.

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More movie news from Israel: a year after “The Band’s Visit” captured hearts in Cannes and “Jellyfish” won the prestigious Camera D’Or, two new Israeli features will make their world premiere in the upcoming 61st Cannes festival.
The highly intriguing “Waltz With Bashir” directed by Ari Folman will compete for the Palme D’Or in the official competition. It’s an labeled as an “animated documentary”, but looks to be a subjective and personal mind-ride inside the memories of the director (who was one of the writers of the above mentioned “In Treatment”) as an 18 years old soldier in Lebanon in the 80’s.
The 3 minute pilot, made three years ago by animator Yoni Goodman, is astonishing. Narrated by Folman himself this looks like an animated “Apocalypse Now”:

(original video is downloadable here)

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And “Les Sept Jours” (”Seven Days”, or “Shiva’a”) an Israeli-French co-production, directed by Issraeli poerhouse actress Ronit Elkabetz (”Late Marriage”) and her brother Shlomi Elkabetz, is slated to spool as a special screening in the Cannes sidebar The Critic’s Week.