The Secrets of La'Isha

Palestinian-Israeli artist Raida Adon navigates questions of identity and belonging through her art. Her search for a place to call home takes her from Israel to Paris, where she confronts new perceptions of her complex identity.

Israeli Haredi women are expected to be good wives to their arranged husbands, take care of their many children, be the main breadwinner while their husbands study religious texts, and always vote as their Rabbis tell them to. They are not supposed to write political articles using a woman's name, and most definitely, they're not supposed to run for Haredi Parliament parties. In fact, Israel is the only country worldwide with parties that officially deny women.

One Street in Silwan tells the story of "Batan al-Hawa" Street (East Jerusalem), which overlooks the Temple Mount and serves as a microcosm of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On one side of the street, live Israeli settlers in a house once belonging to an evicted Palestinian family. On the other side, a Palestinian family faces eviction, alongside 750 of theneighborhood’s residents , with the purpose of establishing more settlements. Told in segments through the perspectives of children and residents, the film sheds light on the chaotic realities of life on the street.