Valeria is Getting Married

Winner, SFJFF43 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award

To attend the Freedom of Expression Award: Lisa Edelstein program, purchase tickets on this page to the Vogue Theater, San Francisco screening of Valeria is Getting Married with Swipe NYC.

Valeria arrives from Ukraine to Tel Aviv for her marriage to Eitan, a liaison hastily brokered online by her brother-in-law, Michael. Shuttled quickly by Michael and her older sister Chistina from the airport to their modest one bedroom apartment, Valeria is overwhelmed by the overly anxious fiancé’s big ticket gifts, talk of Hebrew classes and vows of love. After an envelope of money is exchanged between the two men and some awkward dinner conversation ensues, Valeria locks herself in the bathroom, refusing to leave. Even though Christina extols the benefits of her own arranged marriage to Michael, Valeria remains doubtful. Unwilling to enter into a relationship created as the result of a monetary transaction and not wanting to return to her native Ukraine, Valeria is pressed to reach her own compromise. Up-and-coming Israeli director Michal Vinik focuses her attention on the perspectives of the two Ukrainian sisters and the tense emotional journey that unfolds over the course of one day. Boasting 14 Ophir (Israeli Academy Award) nominations including a win for Best Screenplay, after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Valeria Is Getting Married is a smart, superbly acted chamber piece focusing on the gender politics inherent in an arranged marriage.

Preceded by Swipe NYC

Bay Area Premiere