| Native Name: | |
| Pisces | |
| Director: | Lee Dror |
| Runtime: | 12 minutes |
| Country: | Israel |
| Language: | Hebrew, Japanese |
Pisces is a 2023 Israeli animated[1] short film directed by Lee Dror[2] [3] and written by Omer Hamawi. The film explores themes of loss and denial, which Dror has previously inspected in her prior works,[4] [5] through its protagonist, Rona, who grapples with the impact of her sister's death while navigating her unconventional life in Japan.
The narrative centers on Rona, whose life is upended when she receives a phone call from her father informing her of her sister's accidental death, a decade after she left her family in Israel. As she struggles to process this devastating news, Rona attempts to maintain her daily routine as a member of a "family for rent". Her efforts to deny her sister's death lead to a fracture in the fictional world she has constructed, forcing her to confront the unresolved absence in her life.
Since its release, Pisces has been showcased at numerous film festivals worldwide,[6] [7] including the Festival de Cinéma de la Ville in Québec and the Macau Shorts International Film Festival. Although Dror already gained international recognition with for her previous film, Mirrors,[8] [9] [10] it was the first time she was longlisted for the Academy Awards,[11] having earned a qualifying prize at a prestigious film festival or secured theatrical screening engagements recognized by the Academy.
The short film premiered at the Plum Festival[12] in Argentina and received the Creativity Award at the Chaniartoon Festival in Greecel[13] It has also been featured in the Animasyros International Animation Festival[14] and the Lille International Short Film Festival,[15] among others.
| Year | Festivals | Award/Category | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Chaniartoon Festival | Short Film Competition | |
| Plum Festival | Short Film Competition | ||
| Festival de Cinéma de la Ville de Québec | "Illumination" section[16] | ||
| Macau Shorts International Film Festival | Short Film Competition | ||
| Rencontres Audiovisuelles (Lille International Short Film Festival) | Short Film Competition | ||
| Animasyros International Animation Festival | International Panorama Short Film Category | ||
| Linz International Short Film Festival | Short Film Competition[17] | ||
| Austin JFF | Short Film Competition | ||
| 2024 | Bogoshorts | Short Film Competition[18] | |
| Toronto Jewish Film Festival | Short Film Competition[19] | ||
| Jerusalem Film Festival | Short Film Competition[20] |