Competition: “Tehilim” by Raphaël Nadjari

Raphaël Nadjari, one of whose previous films, The Shade, was selected for Un Certain Regard in 1999, is presenting his new feature, Tehilim, in Competition
today. This drama, which attests to French director Nadjari’s attachment to Israel – just as Avanim (2004) did – is the portrait of a Jewish family in great distress following
the death of the father, played by Shmuel Vilojni. Each member of the family does his or her best to deal with the void left by the death, and the difficulties of daily life. While the adults
take refuge in silence or tradition, the two children – played by Michael Moshonov and Yonathan Alster – try, in their own way, to bring their father back.

On his reasons for choosing this story, Raphaël Nadjari explained: “I was looking for a simple, personal story to raise very complex issues. (…) Through the real daily life of a
family, I wanted to look at something you never get over: the disappearance of loved ones. It’s as if God Himself had abandoned us, revealing our vulnerability, and making us start to doubt.
Until we find Him again. (…) I am not doing a sociological study. I’m trying to spontaneously understand the composite and dialectical dimension of Judaism beyond its different
communities.”

Photo Copyright AFP