Full Description
With a nod to the multi-layered storytelling of Robert Altman and as gritty and satisfying as ensemble dramas such as Amores Perros and Crash, Eyal Halfon’s brilliant, tough and bittersweet story links the lives of desperate men and women on the fringes of Israeli society, looking for someplace to call home. At the center is ex-cop Franco (Uri Gavriel), reduced to smuggling illegal immigrant girls from the former Soviet Union on behalf of a violent gangster, who sells them off as prostitutes and maids. Franco is touched by young Jana (Evelyne Kaplun), a wispy Ukrainian woman trying to earn money for her daughter back home; their deepening relationship forms the spine of the drama. Intersecting their worlds are Zeltzer, a sad farmer with trouble at home, whose only honest relationship is with his Thai field worker; and Aloni, the man who is cuckolding Zeltzer and who becomes unexpectedly dependent on the Filipino caretaker of his disabled father. The intertwining stories of these outsiders exist as naturally together as the complex tapestry that defines modern Israeli life. But What a Wonderful Place is successful not merely as a glimpse into Israel but as a well-scripted, stunningly acted international feature. Director/writer Halfon (Baghdad Bandstand, SFJFF 2004; writer, Cup Final, SFJFF 1992) guides with clarity and heart. Gavriel (recently seen in The Syrian Bride) has earned a slew of international acting awards for his tough and almost tender performance. What a Wonderful Place won four Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
