The Dive

Winner of the Jury Award and the Critics Award at the Locarno Film Festival and Winner of Best Israeli Film, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Israeli First Feature at the Jerusalem Film Festival. When a family patriarch dies, three brothers must put aside their differences to carry out their father’s last wish in this tender Israeli comedy that examines what it means to be human. Upon learning of his father’s death, prodigal son Yoav (Yoel Rozenkier) returns to the sparsely populated kibbutz where he was raised. He’s greeted by his mother, his elder brother Itai (Yona Rozenkier), and his younger brother Avishai (Micha Rozenkier), who is about to ship off to perform his military service in Lebanon. Yoav is an ex-officer traumatized by his experiences, while Itai remains in the service and believes fiercely in doing one’s patriotic duty. While their conflicting perspectives deepen the rift between them, they must work together to fulfill their father’s final request — for the three of them to dive together and deposit his remains in an undersea cave. This ambitious mission may represent the last opportunity for the brothers to look past their differences and give each other the love and support needed to move forward in life. Drawing beautiful performances from his cast, Yona Rozenkier’s debut feature represents a deep dive into questions of loyalty to one’s family, country, and gender.