Dolphin Boy
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Dolphin Boy
Morad lived in an Arab village in the north of Israel. He was socially popular, loved by his family, an athlete, and a good student. One night, during the fall of 2006, he was cruelly beaten by his classmates, who mistakenly accused him of having an affair with their engaged cousin. Physically, he recovered within days; however, he was unable to speak or respond to anything for weeks. Rather than hospitalizing him in a mental institution, psychiatrist Dr. Ilan Kutz sent Morad to Eilat to undergo dolphin therapy.
Surrounded by endless desert, red mountains, and the deep blue sea, Eilat becomes a sanctuary for Morad. He begins to undergo therapy and develops an exceptional relationship with the dolphins. He becomes an excellent diver and starts speaking after three months; however, the “reborn” Morad detaches himself from his past and refuses to return to his village; instead, he develops a relationship with a Jewish girl. This documentary is about the devastating havoc that human violence can wreak upon the human soul, and about the healing powers of nature and love.
Festivals and Awards:
Special Mention at the Jerusalem International Film Festival, Israel, 2011; HotDocs, Canada, 2011; Israel Academy Award (Nominee), 2011; Cinema For Peace, Green Oscar (Nominee), Berlin, 2011; 3rd most watched film at MipDoc, France, 2011; Honorary Mention at the Woodstock Film Festival, 2011; First Prize at the Marseille Underwater Festival, France, 2011; Mind Media Award (Silver Prize), 2011; Audience Award at the Washington Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2012; Audience Award at the Brooklyn Israel Film Festival, USA, 2012; Palm Springs International Film Festival; USA, 2012; Mill Valley Film Festival, USA, 2012; DMZ Docs - South Korea, 2012; Syracuse Film Festival, USA, 2012; Other Israel Film Festival, USA, 2011; Edge Documentary Film Festival, New Zealand, 2011; ZagrebDox, Croatia, 2012
Director: Dani Menkin, Yonatan Nir
Producer: Judith Manassan Ramon, Dani Menkin, Yonatan Nir
Cinematographer: Jaron Levisohn, Nir, Yoav Kleinman
Editor: Tali Halter Shenkar, Melanie Margalith
Soundtrack Editor: Micky Assa, Soundwise
Original Soundtrack: Issar Shulman
Supporter(s): The New Fund for Cinema and Television, The Second Authority for Television and Radio, ARTE
Script: Dani Menkin, Yonatan Nir
Distributor: Ruth Diskin Films
Subtitles: English, Hebrew
Film Name in Hebrew: הדולפין
Category: Children and Youth / Family / Greenhouse Films / Identity / Minorities / People with Disabilities
Tag Words: coexistence dolphin therapy Eilat Father Greenhouse rehabilitation son trauma Violence
Morad lived in an Arab village in the north of Israel. He was socially popular, loved by his family, an athlete, and a good student. One night, during the fall of 2006, he was cruelly beaten by his classmates, who mistakenly accused him of having an affair with their engaged cousin. Physically, he recovered within days; however, he was unable to speak or respond to anything for weeks. Rather than hospitalizing him in a mental institution, psychiatrist Dr. Ilan Kutz sent Morad to Eilat to undergo dolphin therapy.
Surrounded by endless desert, red mountains, and the deep blue sea, Eilat becomes a sanctuary for Morad. He begins to undergo therapy and develops an exceptional relationship with the dolphins. He becomes an excellent diver and starts speaking after three months; however, the “reborn” Morad detaches himself from his past and refuses to return to his village; instead, he develops a relationship with a Jewish girl. This documentary is about the devastating havoc that human violence can wreak upon the human soul, and about the healing powers of nature and love.
Festivals and Awards:
Special Mention at the Jerusalem International Film Festival, Israel, 2011; HotDocs, Canada, 2011; Israel Academy Award (Nominee), 2011; Cinema For Peace, Green Oscar (Nominee), Berlin, 2011; 3rd most watched film at MipDoc, France, 2011; Honorary Mention at the Woodstock Film Festival, 2011; First Prize at the Marseille Underwater Festival, France, 2011; Mind Media Award (Silver Prize), 2011; Audience Award at the Washington Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2012; Audience Award at the Brooklyn Israel Film Festival, USA, 2012; Palm Springs International Film Festival; USA, 2012; Mill Valley Film Festival, USA, 2012; DMZ Docs - South Korea, 2012; Syracuse Film Festival, USA, 2012; Other Israel Film Festival, USA, 2011; Edge Documentary Film Festival, New Zealand, 2011; ZagrebDox, Croatia, 2012
Director: Dani Menkin, Yonatan Nir
Producer: Judith Manassan Ramon, Dani Menkin, Yonatan Nir
Cinematographer: Jaron Levisohn, Nir, Yoav Kleinman
Editor: Tali Halter Shenkar, Melanie Margalith
Soundtrack Editor: Micky Assa, Soundwise
Original Soundtrack: Issar Shulman
Supporter(s): The New Fund for Cinema and Television, The Second Authority for Television and Radio, ARTE
Script: Dani Menkin, Yonatan Nir
Distributor: Ruth Diskin Films
Subtitles: English, Hebrew
Film Name in Hebrew: הדולפין
Category: Children and Youth / Family / Greenhouse Films / Identity / Minorities / People with Disabilities
Tag Words: coexistence dolphin therapy Eilat Father Greenhouse rehabilitation son trauma Violence