Under the Domim Tree

A coming-of-age story based on the autobiography of Israel's first lady of stage and screen, Gila Almagor, who earned cheers, tears and a standing ovation at the 1989 presentation of her film, THE SUMMER OF AVIYA. UNDER THE DOMIM TREE continues the story five years later, in the mid-1950s, in Israel. Aviya, now 15, lives in a youth village for war orphans and teenagers from troubled homes. She and her new friends are family for one another. Aviya searches for clues to the identity of her deceased father, endures the unpredictability of her emotionally unstable mother, Henya (played by Gila Almagor) and is pursued by Polish-born Jurek, who desperately tries to win her heart. By day, Aviya and her friends laugh, play and study like other teens; by night memories of their unspeakable losses return. They find refuge together under the domim (crabapple) tree, where the story finds its surprising and exhilarating climax. Un Certain Regard, 1995 Cannes Film Festival.