Family Time

If you’ve ever been on a family road trip, you know how it feels to be trapped inside a car: crowded, both physically and emotionally.

Spending 24/7 with family is dramatically different from the daily routines that offer evasive options. As adults, that protective distance is part of a natural process: you grow up, become independent and move out. The distance you establish between you and your family is up to you. For some, as far away as possible is still not far enough.

In Family Time, Director Nitzan Gilady puts his family under the lens as they travel to the Grand Canyon. In a small crowded RV, there’s usually a lot of extra emotional baggage. Gilady’s conservative father wishes the best for his children, but he has no control over their futures. Worried about his youngest son suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Struggling with his middle son who left Israel years ago and in denial that his eldest, the filmmaker, is gay - truly believing that this is a curable psychological disorder. All the while, Gilady‘s mother tries her best to keep her family from imploding.

This is a universal story of the love and frustration of family, children reaching for self-fulfillment and identity and the dreams and hopes of parents.

Nitzan Gilady's previous film Jerusalem is Proud to Present was Winner Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary at Melbourne Queer Film festival 2009. Nitzan's attendance has been made possible through the support of the Embassy of Israel in Canberra.