About Us
The Embassy of India in Israel and Teamwork Productions India, are proud to present Celebrating India in Israel, a festival of visual and performing arts. The Festival is a unique endeavor platforming the wealth of India’s classical and contemporary cultural heritage including dance, theatre, music, food, film, yoga and visual arts.
In the Festivals' premier year we present the magic of the flute by world renowned flautist Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia. The award winning world music band Mrigya who have performed to audiences across the globe from Wellington to Edinburgh and Singapore to South Africa. Zila Khan is a legend in the world of Sufi music - spiritual poetic verse set to music with a global appeal.
The doyen of Indian cinema Sharmila Tagore has mesmerized audiences and filmmakers across generations for the past 5 decades. Seen first as a vulnerable teenager in Satayjit Ray’s classic film The world of Apu, a selection of her films will be screened at the Jerusalem, Tel Aviv & Haifa Cinemathique’s and Sharmila will be present for “In Conversations” in select cities. Where the streets have no name is an exhibition of visual art as a collaborative expression between artists and street children which will be presented in Tel Aviv.
Aditi Mangaldas’s charismatic Kathak dance performance in her recent production Uncharted Seas has earned her critical acclaim across continents. Her performances will be a key feature of the Festival in association with the Suzanne Dellal Center.The theatrical production Hamlet The Clown Prince -is a modern day satire on Shakespeare’s classic play will be staged at the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv.
The festival will alsoinclude authentic Indian cuisine.
The Festival of India provides audiences in Israel an occasion to engage with the cultural diversity of India’s heritage.
India and Israel share a common national psyche which makes them natural allies as robust democracies. The Founder of Israel, Ben Gurion had immense regard for three world figures: Moses, Socrates and Gandhi. Similarly, prominent Indians like Nehru, Tagore, and R. K. Narayan are well known in Israel, and some streets have also been named after them.
A large number of Israeli youths take a break in India after completing rigorous mandatory military training. Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Mumbai, are popular tourist destinations for Israelis as havens of peace and tranquility and above all spirituality!
This ambitious project Co Produced by the Embassy of India in Israel and Teamwork Productions will be staged from 27 April – 29 May, 2011.