A middle-aged bachelor's world is upended when he learns he has lost a son he didn't know existed, in the affecting Israeli tragicomedy LONGING. Over lunch with former college girlfriend Ronit (Asi Levi), well-off Ariel (Shai Avivi) is shocked to hear they had a son together, and that their teenage boy has just died. The bombshell propels Ariel on a surreal journey into the unknown, as he travels to the boy's gravesite and then seaside home, desperate to know more about his passionate but wayward son. Through a series of eccentric encounters and winding revelations, Ariel goes out on an emotional limb, belatedly discovering fatherly love and devotion, as well as personal catharsis about his own troubled childhood. Nominated for 13 Israeli Academy Awards including Best Film, and Audience Award and Best Script prizewinner at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
Savi Gabizon