San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 2019

[Chris Knipp]

RACHEL LEAH JONES, PHILLIPE BELLAICHE: ADVOCATE (2018) CAPSULE


LEA TSEMEL

Capsule

Advocate is a documentary about vibrant Israeli human rights lawyer Lea Tsemel who has represented political prisoners for nearly 50 years. In his Hollywood Reporter review written at HotDocs, Keith Uhlich calls this film "absorbingly up close and personal." There have been several boldly revealing Israeli documentaries, namely The Gatekeepers (NYFF) and The Law in These Parts (SFIFF). There was also The Lab (SFIFF), an eye-opening film about Israeli's huge arms production and sales. In 2018 came Duki Dror's The Mossad (SFJFF), about Israel intelligence. Rachel Leah Jones's and Phillipe Bellalache's Advocate must be added to this impressive list.

Advocate, 108 mins., debuted at Sundance Jan. 2019 and has played in at least 9 other international festivals, including SFJFF, where it was screened for this capsule comment. In June it was the Opening Night film of the Film at Lincoln Center Human Rights Festival. At Docaviv it won first prize.
SFJFF showtimes:
Saturday July 27, 2019 3:20 p.m. Castro Theatre
Sunday July 28, 2019 5:55 p.m.Albany Twin

INTERVIEW about the film on Democracy Now!