The following is a press release from the Jerusalem Municipality ahead of Jerusalem Day, which begins next Sunday evening, May 9:

Are you a proud Jerusalemite or fan of the Holy City? Think you’re familiar with every ancient stone and alleyway? Well, think again, because you’re about to discover a whole new Jerusalem and reveal magical sights, sounds and scenes never glimpsed before. Artist, photographer and producer Eitan Asraf is releasing a brand-new film prepared especially for the Jerusalem Municipality that presents Israel’s capital in a scintillating new light.

After close to a year of documenting the city from every imaginable and unimaginable angle, capturing its breathtaking vistas, heartwarming scenes and distinct melodies, Asraf’s creation is all set to go. Amazingly, the majority of the film was taken not by state-of-the-art cameras, but on Asraf’s phone and drones which lend us a bird’s eye view of the Holy City.  In this film, he spotlights the sacred, quaint and chic. The Western Wall, Machaneh Yehuda Shuk and Mamilla Boulevard. World-famous tourist attractions beside lesser-known, charming niches that contribute to the timeless melting pot of Israeli culture and society. Viewers will be awed by Jerusalem’s glorious morning and glittering nights and revel in spectacular sunrises, sunsets and changing seasons.

“Jerusalem is the center of the world,” expresses Asraf. “This was an incredible project that carried me throughout an entire year of inspiration. When the subject is a city like Jerusalem, the emotions work overtime, and the imagination can transport one to new vistas. Despite the fact that in the course of our photography, much of our raw material was stolen, we embarked on a second run and were rewarded with awesome frames that were even better than before.”