Special Program

Saaltak takes place entirely at night, weaving a fictional story infused with the historical-political memory that Hazan seeks to awaken—a story that addresses, among other themes, the possibility of belonging to different groups and voices. The result of a five-year creative process, the film was shot at night on the edges of nature reserves and in cherry orchards, and is accompanied by an original soundtrack. At its center are two soldiers—one of Lebanese descent, the other of Syrian origin—moving between physical terrain and a mental landscape, like a dream or a memory. The tension between them is riddled with linguistic friction between Hebrew and Arabic and challenges the boundaries of realism. Although untethered to a specific time or place, they evoke today’s state of anxiety and alertness. Hazan’s work draws inspiration from a range of artistic genres: historical drama, surrealism, tragedy, romance, and horror. At the same time, it crafts a new, elusive visual syntax that offers a critical gaze at political and cultural narrative structures.