Director: Arik Kaplun
Country: Israel
Year: 1999
Runtime: 90 minutes
Hebrew with English Subtitles
Awards: Awards of the Israeli Film Academy - Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, Jerusalem Film Festival - Best Israeli Feature, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival - Award of Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention and Best Actress, WorldFest Houston - Gold Award
This beautifully crafted romantic comedy, set against the backdrop of the Gulf War, is a bittersweet comment on the hopes, dreams and travails of Israel's Russian immigrants. Yana, newly arrived in Tel Aviv, is young and beautiful. She speaks very little Hebrew and, without work, money or friends, faces the challenges of immigrants everywhere. The threat of poison-gas missile attacks forces her into the only sealed room in the house, in close contact with her roommate Eli an irresistibly charming, if roguish, wedding videographer. Director Arik Kaplun shows impressive restraint and allows his fine ensemble cast to carry the film. Popular Russian singer Vladimir Friedman is especially fun to watch in his role as a tough guy with a tender side. (Synopsis by the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.)
Principal Cast: Evelyn Kaplun, Nir Levy, Shmil Ben Ari, Mosko Alkalai, Dalia Friedland, Vladimir Friedman, Israel Damidov
Director Bio:
Director Arik Kaplan studied film direction at Tel Aviv University and is a veteran TV drama and documentary maker and film teacher.
Producer: Anat Bikel
Writer: Arik Kaplun, Semyon Vinokur
Cinematography: Valentin Belonogov