Asia

In this poignant drama claiming the top prize at the Israeli Academy Awards, Shira Haas (star of the Emmy-nominated series Unorthodox and MJFF 2021 film Broken Mirrors) is exceptional as a rebellious teen dealing with a progressive illness and fraught relationship with her free-spirited mother. A single parent at an early age, Asia (Alena Yiv) emigrated from Russia with daughter Vika, and works long hours as a nurse in Jerusalem. Both are stubborn, opinionated, and brusque. As Vika enters adulthood, she tests boundaries and inevitably rebels against her mother's lax parenting. But as her daughter’s health worsens, Asia must become the mother Vika desperately needs. Comparable to Michael Haneke's Academy Award-winning film Amour in its unflinching depiction of love, sacrifice, and mortality, the assured feature debut of writer-director Ruthy Pribar is Israel's official entry to the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.