Southern Premiere
Saturday, Dec. 18, 7:15 pm

Israel, 1999.
Tzipi Trope, Director.
Hebrew w/English subtitles. 94 minutes.

On the surface, Nava, a social worker, and Yoram, an architect, lead a "yuppie" life in a sun-bathed villa where they raise two children. But their family shares a secret and lives in dread of that moment which can tear apart their tranquility. For years, Nava has worked with battered women, attempting to save them from the cycle of violence. Only Genia, a new immigrant from Russia, can see the pain in Nava’s eyes. The two try to help each other extricate themselves from the web of destructive and mistaken love they are each in. A moving portrait of a family where life thrives on the strong passions of love, jealousy and fear, this is the first Israeli feature to deal with battered women. It was filmed during the preparations for Israel’s 50th jubilee celebrations--celebrations which concealed "the pain of the terrible violence in which we live-- violence in the name of land, of God, of lofty ideals, of power, and of love," according director Trope.

Guest: Tzipi Trope, Director