Oscar hopes and Eurovision: Cultural challenges Israel faces next year

In the latest episode of The Jerusalem Playlist, hosts Ezra Taylor and Hannah Brown discuss the biggest stories shaping Israeli culture, from Eurovision’s evolving rules to the films expected to make an impact during Israel’s awards season and at the Venice Film Festival.

The episode opens with Eurovision and the question of whether Bulgaria will be able to host the 2027 competition. Taylor and Brown discuss Netta Barzilai’s role in Israel’s Eurovision history, noting that she was the last Israeli artist to win the competition in 2018.

The hosts examine new Eurovision rules that state a country may become ineligible to host if it is involved in armed conflict, facing a sensitive geopolitical situation, or dealing with circumstances that could affect regional security and stability. While the rule was widely viewed as potentially affecting Israel, Taylor and Brown discuss whether Bulgaria could also face questions after Iran threatened the country over its decision to allow US aircraft to refuel there.

Shifting towards Israeli cinema

The conversation then shifts to Tell Me Everything, an Israeli film by director Moshe Rosenthal that follows a family during the 1980s and 1990s. Hannah Brown explains that the film centers on a young boy who discovers that his father is gay while preparing for his bar mitzvah, during the height of the AIDS epidemic, and explores the fear, confusion, and trauma that follow within the family.

The film has received 16 Ophir Award nominations, with Brown explaining the importance of the awards within Israel’s film industry. The Ophir Awards are considered Israel’s equivalent of the Oscars, and the Best Picture winner becomes Israel’s official submission for consideration in the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature category.

The episode concludes with a look at the Venice Film Festival and Israeli films making their mark on the international stage. Taylor and Brown discuss Nasa, a new film by two of the creators of No Other Land, as well as the broader history of Israeli cinema at Venice, where films have often explored questions of identity, politics and conflict.