French Hit Animated Film and New Peter Pan Musical Highlight Israeli Weekend Entertainment
The French animated children's film "Marsupilami," which sold six million tickets in France this year, has recently premiered in Israel. The film, based on a beloved Belgian comic character, features a corrupt zoo owner (played by Jean Reno) seeking a rare, fictional spotted monkey from South America. Praised for its slapstick humor and appeal to both children and adults, it offers a fresh take compared to typical American children's movies.
In theater, nearly 40 years after originally playing Peter Pan, Hanoch Rosen returns as director of a new musical adaptation starring Lee Biran as Peter Pan, Sissi Kleinstein as Wendy, and Sasson Gabai reprising his role as Captain Hook. The production features advanced flying technology, impressive sets, and beloved songs like "The Night Must Come" and "We're Flying." The show captivates both children and adults, preserving the magic of the classic story.
In culinary culture, the late Israeli food photographer Nelly Sheffer is commemorated through an Instagram archive managed by her daughter Mika Sheffer. Mika will speak at the Jewish People’s Museum in Ramat Aviv about her father’s work, which documented 40 years of Israeli culinary history through over half a million photos.
Fashion designer Nofar Sheffer launches a new collection for the brand Sample, inspired by a trip to South Africa. The collection blends masculine tailoring with feminine silhouettes, featuring satin, lace, floral embroidery, and animal prints, complemented by specially designed shoes.
The Docutext Festival at the National Library in Jerusalem, held August 16-20, screens documentaries related to literature. A highlight is Adi Arbel’s film about the late Israeli author Meir Shalev, showcasing his personal archives and literary legacy. Despite Shalev’s passing in April 2023, his work remains influential.
On television, Netflix’s "Lockerbie: The Investigation" explores the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland, which killed 270 people. The series combines archival footage and detailed investigation narratives, including an Israeli angle referencing a 1970 bombing of a Swissair flight to Tel Aviv and theories about retaliatory motives. The show emphasizes the human stories of the Lockerbie community and the long quest for justice.
