Survivance

Since 2011, the International Christian Embassy, an evangelical organisation, has been sponsoring the organisation of a beauty contest in Haifa reserved for female survivors of the Holocaust living in a retirement home. Following the journey of Sophie Leibowitz, competing for the 2016 title, Eytan Ipeker questions how the memory of the Shoah is turned into a spectacle for political purposes.

Produced by Yoel Meranda - Kamara (Turkey), Carine Chichkowsky - Survivance (France), Eitan Mansuri and Jonathan Doweck - Spiro Films (Israel) et Kristina Konrad - Welt Film (Germany).

Supported by CNC, Procirep-Angoa, Tënk & Mediapart (France), New Film Fund (Turkey).

Pitched at Sheffield Doc/Fest MeetMarket, Istanbul Meetings on the Bridge Work-in-Progress (Color Up Award).

Festivals

Team

Biography

Eytan Ipeker is a Turkish director, screenwriter, and producer born in Istanbul. When he was two years old, his family moved to Israel, and when Eytan turned six, they decided to return to Turkey. Ipeker is a member of Istanbul’s Jewish community. He studied filmmaking in Boston and New York. The Pageant is his debut feature film. This is what Eytan says about his directorial work: “In a world where communication and honesty is so rare, filmmaking is my only way to breathe. I will continue making films no matter what it takes because I have to.”