CoPro Film 2025, Israel’s documentary coproduction market showcasing projects at different stages of development, has announced a packed programme including several politically charged new documentary projects.
The event runs May 26-29 in Tel Aviv.
Among the film projects, Uri Levi’s Peace By 2030 accompanies a bereaved Israeli son and a bereaved Palestinian brother on an ambitious journey that aims to make peace possible by the end of the decade.
Other projects in the market reflect the desire among Jews and Arabs to reach an end to the war in Gaza and begin dialogue on a lasting peace. These include Noam Pinhas’ Awakening – The Fight For Israel’s Democracy, which looks at the protest movement against rising authoritarianism in the country’s political system.
Both projects play in the market’s Close Encounters section.
In the rough-cut strand, A Rhino’s Tale from Meital Zvieli profiles Rushdi, a Palestinian Muslim citizen of Israel who shares a lot in common with Shalom, an ageing rhinoceros he cares for at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo.
In the event’s pitching forum, projects being presented include The Agency – The Story Of UNRWA, directed and produced by Duki Dror, which looks at the agency formed in 1949 by the UN General Assembly to provide aid and essential services to Palestinian refugees; and Keren Shayo’s Women For Peace, which follows Palestinian and Israeli women who have joined forces in pursuit of a long-term solution at a time when even speaking of peace is often seen as betrayal.
Also in the forum is Tomer Heymann’s This Is How I Remember It, a portrait of 98-year-old Holocaust survivor Shimon Rothschild as he retraces his experiences at Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen, where he endured medical experiments as a teenager.
CoPro is also presenting several completed film and TV projects including Tom Shoval’s Berlinale premiere A Letter To David.
“In these turbulent times, promoting Israeli documentary work in the international market has become more challenging than ever. Since October 7th, we have transformed our work. The responsibility of telling Israeli stories and portraying the diverse, intricate perspectives of current events in our region has grown bigger, harder and more vital,” commented Pnina Halfon Lang, CoPro’s executive director.
She spoke of the added importance of “showcasing the films and filmmakers that are about reconciliation, peace, and accountability from all sides.”
The event will also hold its first International Television Conference on Thursday, May 29, which is expected to be attended by 200 Israeli executives, producers and creators, alongside professionals from the global industry.
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