After serving a 15-year sentence, the prison gates open and Matko, an Israeli of Ethiopian descent, is released. He sets out in search of Mesgenaw, the son he left behind, who was only two years old at the time of the crime. On his journey, Matko discovers the consequences of his actions on the sweet, sensitive, and now parentless child. After a series of abusive foster placements, Mesgenaw currently supports himself through sex work, and Matko is determined to rescue him in a shot at redemption. But Mesgenaw does not want to be saved. With a stunning performance by Emos Ayeno who won the award for Best Performance in a Feature Film at the Jerusalem Film Festival, Matko exudes a quiet stubbornness as he longs for a second chance. This rare portrait of a father and son connection unfolds within this dignified story of reentry to life and love.
North America Premiere
Shalom is a Screenplay writer and film director. Graduate of the Sam Spiegel Film School, where he won a prize for best thesis film for his film True Grace. Graduate of the Tel Aviv University Film Department, MA track. His feature film Shrouds (2010) won first prize for Best Debut Film at the Hamburg Film Festival. His short feature film Jonah the Wet Nurse participated in the Haifa Film Festival (2015). The film Curl, which he wrote and directed with Sigalit Lipschitz, participated in the Haifa Film Festival (2018). Its screenplay won honorable mention in the Haaretz newspaper short screenplay competition.