Jerusalem Cinematheque Honors Lia van Leer with Women's Film Festival

The Jerusalem Cinematheque is paying tribute to its legendary founder, Lia van Leer, with Lia Fest, an annual women’s film festival held in honor of Women’s History Month. Running from March 8-29, this year’s festival marks a decade since van Leer’s passing, as well as the centenary of her birth and the 50th anniversary of the Cinematheque’s establishment.

Lia van Leer, a pioneer of Israeli cinema, founded the Jerusalem Cinematheque and the Jerusalem Film Festival. She was known for her unwavering passion for film, even organizing a festival at the height of the Second Intifada. “I can’t go on, I’ll go on,” she once said, quoting Samuel Beckett, as she navigated challenges with determination and humor.

As part of the festival, the Cinematheque continues the tradition of screening a film that “Lia would have loved.” This year’s selection is The Seed of the Sacred Fig, a new Iranian film. Van Leer had once attempted to organize an Israeli film festival in Tehran in 1974, a reminder of how drastically times have changed.

Lia Fest highlights films about strong women, both in fiction and real life. The lineup includes documentaries such as Bird in the Room, about poet Tirza Atar, and A Place of Her Own, which follows women in the Arab village of Jisr e-Zarka as they fight to establish a women’s center amid rapid development. Marathon Mom, a documentary about ultra-Orthodox runner Beatie Deutsch, will be screened with Deutsch and Israel’s First Lady Michal Herzog in attendance.

Feature films include Shambhala, a story of resilience set in a Himalayan village, and Wicked Little Letters, a British period drama starring Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley.

Jerusalem Cinematheque CEO Roni Mahadav-Levin noted that additional events will soon be announced to celebrate the institution’s milestone anniversary.

Israel’s cultural landscape continues to thrive, preserving the legacy of visionaries like Lia van Leer. Share this article or subscribe to our newsletter for updates and support Israeli cinema.