20 Annual Israeli Film Festival presents:
Perfect Strangers
When you watch Israeli movies and television series, you will see plenty of Mossad agents and counterterrorism commandos, haredi families and comedians getting into all kinds of silly situations. What you won’t see much of are middle-class, secular Israelis, the kinds of people who live in the suburbs and like to barbecue, ordinary people who are much like their counterparts around the world. But it is just these kinds of Israelis who are the focus of Lior Ashkenazi’s comedy-drama of manners, Perfect Strangers, and it is refreshing to see.
In his directorial debut, Lior Ashkenzi (Late Marriage; Footnote) proves himself to be as adept behind the camera as he is in front of it. Seven childhood friends meet for dinner to watch a lunar eclipse. What starts out as a congenial evening takes an unexpected turn when they agree to share every text message, call or notification that appear on their phones. Betrayals, secrets and unresolved issues emerge, threatening their friendships and marriages. Adapted from the 2016 Italian film of the same name, Ashkenazi puts a uniquely Israeli spin on a film that has been remade in over 20 countries.
Sponsor: Vered Israel Cultural and Education Centre, SJCC, JFO, CICF