Cinema Sabaya
Kino Lorber | Release Date: February 10, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
VarietyAlissa SimonJan 30, 2023
Based on helmer-writer Orit Fouks Rotem’s experience as a teacher and the real women she encountered, the film is full of life, love, humor and authenticity without being didactic. At the same time, it cleverly questions the ethics and responsibility of filmmaking. Read full review
85
Film ThreatBenjamin FranzFeb 24, 2023
Cinema Sabaya is a beautiful model of peaceful coexistence. This is a heartwarming film that should be watched by everyone. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleFeb 26, 2023
A wonderfully unforced, lightly intimate experience existing in a dramatic arena between observational nonfiction and bare-bones theater’s nowhere-to-go focus. Read full review
75
The Film StageJordan RaupFeb 9, 2023
Cinema Sabaya attempts to capture the spectrum of the human experience with a simplified conceit. While its reach may exceed its grasp, Rotem’s debut shows the necessity of making space for a dialogue, and how filmmaking is the perfect tool to express ideas that words can’t capture. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithFeb 9, 2023
Cinema Sabaya, a quietly affecting little film about unexpected connections and unseen sorrows, shimmers with a bright optimism about how people might overlook one another’s differences if only they took a little time to learn about each other. Read full review
70
Screen DailyNikki BaughanJan 30, 2023
While the film’s narrative may run a familiar path from conflict to resolution, Rotem’s light, authentic touch makes it an engaging journey. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreJan 30, 2023
It’s another one of the many Israeli films over the years that emphasizes connection, accidental or forced, in the close-quarters of Palestine — Israel, the Occupied Territories, lands under the Palestinian Authority. And like most of these films, it offers a glimmer of hope, even if it’s too much to expect Orit Fouks Rotem’s film to play out as wholly neutral. Read full review
60
The New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaFeb 9, 2023
Rotem’s organic approach steers clear of icky idealism, but its conclusions nevertheless feel worn out. Talking helps, sure, but getting people in the same room is too often the stuff of fiction. Read full review
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