Garden

The Garden is a rundown section of Tel Aviv where young gay prostitutes and drug addicts gather. Over the course of one year, filmmakers Ruthie Shatz and Adi Barash follow two young men who have made the Garden their home. Nino, a 17-year-old Palestinian living illegally in Israel, is in and out of jail and reformatories. Dudu, an Israeli Arab, is struggling with the need to support a drug habit by hustling. Like many gay youth, they are the closest thing each other has to family. The boys help each other survive and mirror back self-worth, vulnerability, and a young man’s flirtatious swagger and brio. Nino and Dudu’s lives hustling are replicated all over the world, yet their stories as young gay Arab men in Israel are unique. Caught between the homophobia of their parents (who have basically thrown them out) and their second-class status in Israel, they find more respite on the street in Tel Aviv than at home in Nablus or Hebron. Nino’s confession, "I wouldn’t mind spending my whole life in jail if my family would visit me," is heartbreaking. We witness their suspect friendships with older protectors/ johns, while their interactions with Israeli social workers and the court are fraught with the overarching Israeli/ Palestinian conflict and society’s unease with gay youth. Nino and Dudu give intimate access to these documentary filmmakers, who in turn have given voice to two young men whose friendship is interwoven with love and respect.

Fig Films is an independent film production company based in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Founded in 2002, the company develops produces and directs high quality documentary films for the international market. The managers, founding members and shareholders of Fig Films are the directors and producers Ruthie Shatz and Adi Barash. Diamonds and Rust, Ruthie Shatz's and Adi Barash's first international debut film, participated in over 30 film festivals and was purchased by several TV stations Including ARTE France, TV Ontario, YLE and more. Diamonds and Rust was supported by The Soros Documentary Fund and won the 2001 International SCAM Prix and the 2001 Golden Gate Award. Fig Films current Garden about young male prostitutes working and living in Tel-Aviv. The film was pitched, with great success at the 2002 international Forum for co-productions in Amsterdam. The film was shown up till now in dozens film festivals including Sundance 2004. Garden is co-produced with Noga Communications, TVOntario, YLE, TV2, and supported by The Sundance Documentary Fund, The Alter - Cine Fund and The Israeli Makor Fund Fig Films is also producing All My Fathers a feature documentary, to premiere in 2005 and Yuri The Star Forman to premiere also in 2005., Fig Films is an independent film production company based in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Founded in 2002, the company develops produces and directs high quality documentary films for the international market. The managers, founding members and shareholders of Fig Films are the directors and producers Ruthie Shatz and Adi Barash. Diamonds and Rust, Ruthie Shatz's and Adi Barash's first international debut film, participated in over 30 film festivals and was purchased by several TV stations Including ARTE France, TV Ontario, YLE and more. Diamonds and Rust was supported by The Soros Documentary Fund and won the 2001 International SCAM Prix and the 2001 Golden Gate Award. Fig Films current Garden about young male prostitutes working and living in Tel-Aviv. The film was pitched, with great success at the 2002 international Forum for co-productions in Amsterdam. The film was shown up till now in dozens film festivals including Sundance 2004. Garden is co-produced with Noga Communications, TVOntario, YLE, TV2, and supported by The Sundance Documentary Fund, The Alter - Cine Fund and The Israeli Makor Fund Fig Films is also producing All My Fathers a feature documentary, to premiere in 2005 and Yuri The Star Forman to premiere also in 2005.