Text Panel
Similar to Israeli society as a whole, Israeli cinema has also transitioned from depicting the Zionist vision to focusing on the individual and his or her tribulations.
The first feature film made in Palestine was Oded Hanoded (1933), which dealt with the discovery of the homeland. Films made by Ephraim Kishon in the 1960s, which examined Israeli society through an ironic lens, advanced the portrayal of everyday topics in films. In the 1970s, Israeli cinema was characterized by a new genre called “boureka” films that highlighted conflicts between different sub-ethnic groups of Jews in the country. In the 1980s, filmmakers frequently explored Jewish-Arab relations and issues related to the Israeli Defense Forces. In the 1990s, the focus of Israeli cinema was primarily on the individual psyche. Israeli cinema in the 21st century is replete with a wide variety of themes and genres.