What touches filmmakers who live and work beyond our known horizon? The examination of other cultures, of foreign visual languages and narrative techniques typifies the series New World View. It is the goal of this section to make the great spectrum of contemporary cinema known to a greater audience by introducing a new guest country and its young filmmakers each year. Particular media interest is guaranteed.

In 2007, the Zurich Film Festial introduced Russia as its guest country, imparting a new image of a country that, since 1989, has been defined by its social and political upheavals. 4th Zurich Film Festival was dedicated to guest country Israel. Despite being a small production country, the Middle-eastern state has generated a remarkable output of high-quality and independent works, which have during the last years caused quite a stir at international film festivals.

Israel’s recent filmmaking is among the world’s most innovative and lively ones. The focus is set on Israel not only because of this year’s anniversary: the young and powerful Israeli filmmaking has in the past years become very popular with festival juries and audiences alike. The stories from the immigration country, where the media attention is mainly focused on the latent conflict with Palestine, are at times moving and melodramatic, at times fresh and cheerful. The young Israeli filmmaking encounters the daily state of emergency with self-irony and humour. Let yourself be carried away by Israel’s oriental-European microcosm. Some of the directors will personally present their films in Zurich.