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diner-temporary
Israel, 9'35min, 2005

Director: Pola Zen

Producer: Shira Ozeri
Writer: Pola Zen
Composer: Jorge Lan
Cinematographer: Addie Reiss
Designer: Vered Rahat
Editor: Pola Zen
Cast: Adi Bar-Gera, Jonathan Pasternak

Synopsis: A young, desperate waitress never quite manages to save enough money to escape the diner she works at and the love struck chef is always there to remind her of the precious life-time she has lost. She cannot help herself from trying to get close to the customers she serves; until a mysterious writer leaves behind a note she cannot ignore…

Director’s Statement:
Young filmmakers today are torn between wanting to express basic human feelings, trying to connect with a receptive audience, and having to deal with the pressure of what is commercial. It is a terrible fight because what is lost in the aftermath is the "magic of cinema", what makes film an art form. I am aware that my film is not structured in the traditional way many short films are produced. My film stems from this very awareness. I ask myself what are the raw ingredients of the human experience, and how can I - as a filmmaker - attempt to bring those raw materials to the screen. I seek the point where aesthetics and music create on the screen a unique experience for any seeker (aren't we all?). I look to connect through a disconnected medium.

Today, in the 21st century we are overwhelmed with different cultures, countries and languages. My film deals with what is raw, ancient and common between us: “the Universal in the Multicultural". Are we all not looking for something to connect to? The basic feelings of loneliness and love. What else is there?

Pola Zen

Born in Mexico City in 1979, lived in Mexico and the U.S. Immigrated to Israel in 1998. Spent two years as a human resources coordinator in the Israel Defense Forces Infantry Corps, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant. In 2005 studies her 4th year at the Tel Aviv University Film and Television Department. Directed many short films and a music video which was broadcast on RitmoSon, a Latin music channel across Latin America. Filmed the visit of Richard Gere to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, including a high level meeting with the Palestinian Prime Minister. The footage will be included in a conflict-resolution movie produced by Mr. Gere. Directed the short fiction “diner-zmani” which has been screened in International Film Festivals such as EthnoFilmFest in Berlin and Global Art Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA, USA, where the movie received an Honorable Mention Award. Skills: Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Scriptwriting.

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