Home Port

After 30 years at sea, Aharon Avital decides to finally drop anchor in his old hometown, taking the position of head of the Marine Department at the Ashdod Port in order to spend more time with his daughter and new granddaughter. Experienced, direct and principled, Aharon would seem to be the ideal employee for the port owners. But Aharon has his work cut out for him as he tries to oversee a surly working-class Israeli tugboat crew that is prone to laziness, drinking and even violence. For every action Aharon takes to get the entitled and underperforming crew shipshape, Azulay, the strongman at port, counters, wielding his power as a respected local who has always looked out for others in the old boys club, including Aharon’s father decades ago. As the battle escalates to the point of threatening Aharon’s physical safety and loved ones, including his beautiful new girlfriend, he must weigh the importance of his standards against the larger questions of loyalty, love and family. With a nod to On the Waterfront, Home Port is a fascinating drama from director Erez Tadmor (Strangers, Opening Night SFJFF 2007 and A Matter of Size, SFJFF 2009) examining power, class and privilege, ultimately asking the question: Is being a principled man the same as being a good man? —Alexis Witham

WEST COAST PREMIERE