Portrait

These are the memories of a lost girlhood. When they were only five or six or ten years old, their parents snatched them from the playground and handed them to much older men to be married. They recall the violence and fear they were subjected to, the pregnancies at the age of eleven or twelve, becoming mothers when they were still little girls themselves. It was an open secret but one they put aside forever, because revealing it might tear their family apart, causing commotion and creating chaos. The memories of their tragic childhood never healed – they were simply suppressed for the sake of their children, their livelihoods, and their husbands. No more.

The story of five cashiers who work the same shift in a supermarket, in Tel Aviv. Most are immigrants from Russia, others are native Israelis. The film follows their relationships, the mutual support and solidarity, dealing with the management and customers, their difficulties making a living and their working conditions, as they try to change their fate. "Super Women" is a beautiful example of cinéma verité and a special peek into a hidden world.

Liza, a retired single mother, makes relentless attempts to save her daughter Tal — a transgender woman in rapid decline, involved in sex work and struggling with drug addiction.

This sociological journey back in time began over twenty years ago when several families were evicted from their homes. They got together and squatted in an abandoned building in Jaffa for two years. The children of all ages who lived there grew up around violence, poverty, and drugs-but also solidarity. They saw the power of people fighting the establishment for their right to a home. They became documentary subjects for the first time in 1999, in Yael Kipper and Einat Fishbein's film The Two Yossi (screened at the very first Docaviv Festival). Now, their journey continues: what has become of them? What chances does a poverty-stricken child have to make it in the world?