The Belle from Gaza

Synopsis

"A man fled from Gaza to Tel Aviv to become a woman" – this is the story French director Yolande Zauberman heard while filming transgender women working as sex workers in Tel Aviv for her documentary "M" (2018). Captivated by the tale, she decided to search for this woman, whom she called "the Beauty from Gaza," and make a film about her. This idea became the foundation for the film "La belle de Gaza". Zauberman, who also operated the camera, interviewed various transgender women in the film to uncover the identity of the mysterious woman. However, no one seemed to know her, and the protagonist remained elusive throughout the film. Instead, the film sheds light on other transgender women, many of them Arab and some devout Muslims. They share their fears and dreams, as well as the constant danger of being discovered, abused, or even killed by family members or acquaintances.

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Screenings

Cast and crew

About the director(s):
Born in Paris, Yolande Zauberman was introduced to cinema by director Amos Gitaï. In 1987, she made her first documentary, "Classified People", about apartheid in South Africa, which won numerous awards, including the Grand Prix at the Paris Film Festival. In 1989, "Caste Criminelle", shot in India, was selected for the Cannes Film Festival. Three years later, she directed her first fiction film in Yiddish, "Me Ivan, You Abraham", which won several international awards, including the Youth Award at the Cannes Film Festival. This was followed by a documentary trilogy set in the Israeli night: "Would you have sex with an Arab?" (Venice Film Festival 2011); "M" (awarded worldwide, César for Best Documentary 2020); and finally "The Belle From Gaza".

Yolande Zauberman

Gallery