Not Quite Kosher

An Orthodox Jew from Brooklyn meets a Bedouin from Egypt in the Sinai Desert. Ben has been dispatched as the all important “10th man” (the requisite number of men to form a minyan) to celebrate Passover in Alexandria, Egypt. Due to an ancient agreement, if Jews are unable to celebrate the holiday, the community would be absorbed by the Egyptian state. As the aging, dwindling community eagerly awaits his arrival, Ben has the misfortune of not only missing his flight from Jerusalem but also being removed from a Cairo-bound bus, leaving him stranded in the desert with only five days to get to Alexandria. Meanwhile, Adel is looking for his wayward camel when he stumbles upon Ben on the side of the road. Gruff but unwilling to overlook the vulnerable stranger, pragmatic Adel is perplexed by Ben’s behavior. Wasting their limited water supply on hand washing? Not eating the bread he’s prepared for their nourishment because it’s not kosher? As the days wear on, Adel’s exasperation becomes a begrudging respect for Ben’s mission, though the search for water becomes paramount. As the men pray for a miracle, they learn that hope comes in several forms including a loud, large humped mammal. This buddy comedy cum road movie in the middle of the Holy Land wrings plenty of heart from a most unlikely friendship.

North American Premiere