Original soundtrack by Ezra Axelrod. A ThisTopia documentary co-directed and co-produced by Ezra Axelrod. Premiering in 2024.
In a tropical paradise turned dystopian by the Drug War, struggling Colombian parents Isska and Menajem reinvent themselves as Orthodox Zionist Jews who believe that God is calling them home to the Promised Land. Over the course of a year in which reality and religious parable collide, Isska and Menajem risk everything in an attempt to make Aliyah to Israel, putting their family and faith to the ultimate test.
Torah Tropical tells the universal story of searching for identity and belonging in the face of adversity. Through Isska and Menajem’s struggle to give their daughters a better life, the consequences of economic, racial and religious exclusion are explored with poetic intimacy, inviting audiences to fall in love with a family that defies stereotypes and inspires us to find hope in the middle of some of the world’s cruelest intersections.
PANÓPTICA: a new dance film choreographed by Eduard Mar. Produced by Ezra Axelrod and Marcela Cruz. Music and sound design by Ezra Axelrod.
Credits:
Original idea and choreography / Eduard Mar
Actor and dancer / Eduardo Cifuentes
Directors / Jose Varón and Melissa Jurado
Producers / Ezra Axelrod and Marcela Cruz
Executive Producer / Eduard Mar
Art Director / Marcela Cruz
Original soundtrack and Sound Design / Ezra Axelrod
Director of Photography / Jose Varón
Gaffer / Juan Sebastián Bustos
Editor / Melissa Jurado
Colorist / Simón Vélez
The debut dance film from Colombian choreographer Eduard Mar explores the psychological and physical impact of his country’s six-month quarantine during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Against the backdrop of political, economic and social tensions that came to a head in Colombia at the end of 2019, Mar ponders the role of dance in processing turmoil, putting forward new narratives, and ultimately forging spaces of solace and hope within an ever-encroaching environment of discord.
Made possible by a grant from the Cultural Secretariat of Cali, Colombia, Panóptica stars actor, dancer and writer Eduardo Cifuentes. A 2019 graduate of the Fine Arts Conservatoire in Cali, Cifuentes infuses his performances with visceral intimacy, drawing from the many contrasts that have marked his artistic journey, from his childhood in the wartorn countryside south of Cali, to his training at the renowned Colegio del Cuerpo in Cartagena, to his current role as co-director of Movimiento en Colectivo, a cutting-edge dance and theatre company he runs with Mar. Movimiento en Colectivo is known for its bold commentary on Colombian culture and politics (Actos de Fuga), eroticism and addiction (Caballeros), and family struggle (Mami), among others.
The production of Panóptica in itself is a testament to the challenges of carrying out creative work under the public health measures necessitated by the response to Covid-19. When Mar found himself unable to return to Colombia from Mexico after the rapid spread of the pandemic, he entrusted a team of Cali-based filmmakers to bring his vision to life, while he advised remotely from abroad. The crew’s aim was to create an intimate portrait of an artists’ process during the quarantine, ripe with textures, colours and sounds that evoke the turbulent internal world and resilience of a human in confinement.
Coming soon…Feature documentary directed by Jose Varón, original music by Ezra Axelrod. Produced by MadLove.
The film tells the story of Yilmar Leandro González, a boxing champion from Cali, Colombia, who also works shifts as a gardener in his local cemetery, where lives cut short by violence are commemorated by gravestones that Yilmar tends with great care. Director Jose Varón’s feature debut, Nocaut is a poignant and immersive portrayal of a figure who carries the heavy expectations of those who depend on him for survival as he seeks a sense of calm in the face of his reality.
Directed by Story Chen / Music and voice over written and performed by Ezra Axelrod
PRODUCED BY: @riceballfilms
CREATIVES: @storychentisch @camo_ossa @jose.f.varon @ezraaxelrod @jsjaimes87
DIRECTOR: @storychentisch
DP: @camo_ossa
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: @jsjaimes87
PRODUCER: @sarahhayofficial
ART DIRECTOR: @hereisnohedy
AC: @brian_bon
EDITOR: @jose.f.varon
MUSIC, SOUND DESIGN: @ezraaxelrod
COLOR: @tim_stipan @company_3
VFX HOUSE: @animation_machine
VFX SUPERVISOR: @diego.h.dieguez
VOICE OVER: @ezraaxelrod
STARRING: @storychentisch & @zac_0211
Directed by Iván Jurado.
Music and Voice Over by Ezra Axelrod.
Executive Producer. Lucas Sáez & Ivan Jurado
Director of Photography. Olmo Sobrino
Actor. Welket Bungué
Editor . Lluis Murúa
Stylist. Ainhoa Gormaz
Sound Design. Daniele de Virgilio
PRODUCTION
Production Assistants. Victor Gracia & Fran Puy
CAMERA DEPARTMENT
Focus Puller. Xenia Pintó
Camera Assistant. Frances Rubio
DRONE
Drone unit . Pyrene Media
Drone Pilot. Mateo Sáez
Drone Operator. Laurent Poulain
POSTPRODUCTION
Postproduction House . Artic
VFX Supervisor . Manu Rastrollo
Flame. Manu Rastrollo & Xavi Giner
Colorist. Jaume Ponsa
3D Artists. Jonas Nunes & Manu Rastrollo
Producer. Carol
TITLES DESIGN
Desiree Arco
Horse. Antonio Carreras - Asociación Añoranza
Precision driver. Alex Subías / Victor Gracia
Car rental . ABC Fly & Drive
Camera Rental House. Zig Zag Rental
Directed by Realité / Music by Ezra Axelrod / Produced by CANADA
for MÓ (Multiópticas)
CREW:
EP / MD - Oscar Romagosa
EP - Marta Argullós
Head of Production - Alba Barneda
Producer - Karen Saurí
Production Manager - Itsasne Santos
Production Coordinator - Alba Sobrepera
1st AD - Laura Ruíz
DoP - Nauzet Gaspar
Art Director - Pitu Fernández
Editor - Lluís Murúa
Stylist - Andrea Ramil
Colorist - Martí Somoza
O.S.T. - Ezra Axelrod
Mix and Sound Design - Biel Blancafort
Production Runner / PA - Joan Pujolar
Production Runner / PA - Gerard Llopart
Production Runner / PA - Pau Illana
Production Runner / PA - Marta Vives
Production Runner / PA - Juan Pe Vida
Production Runner - Pablo Hernan
Production Trainee - Xavi Díez
Location Manager - Edu Giménez
Location Scout - Carlos Miravete
Foquista - Ivi Koyck
Auxiliar de Cámara - Francesc Rubio
Loader - Javier García
Gaffer - Pau Ramírez
Spark - Javier Carrión
Spark - Daniel de Jose
Spark - Xavier González
Assistant Art Director - Lucia Simone
Set Dresser - Marta Archiles
Set Dresser - Juan Diego Rivas
Tyreaction Controller - Dani
Tyreaction Precisión Driver - Telva S.
Postproduction Coordinator - Marina M.Campomanes
Postproduction and Graphic Design - Alvaro Posadas @canada
Labor Management - Sara Martínez
Directed by Saila Huusko for Al Jazeera English. Featuring "Dark by 2" by Ezra Axelrod.
Music and Voice Over production for watch brand MAM Originals.
Director: Nur Casadevall
Music: Ezra Axelrod
Producer: Malditos Produce
Directed by Iván Jurado, music by Ezra Axelrod, produced by The Production Club Barcelona.
A short film for Massimo Dutti directed by Ivan Jurado.
Original song "Behind the Vase" composed, recorded and produced by Ezra Axelrod.
Original music by Ezra Axelrod. Fashion film directed by Nur Casadevall for Massimo Dutti, starring fashion illustrator Jenny Walton.
Producer: Malditos.
