Archive of films What a Wonderful Place / Eize makom nifla
Israel
2005, 104 min
Section:
Official Selection - Competition
Year: 2005
Three stories. While in Israel, Ukrainian call girl Jana gets together with a former policeman named Franco who now works for a gangster boss. Farmer Zeltzer is looking in vain for Jana; he’s found a bag of hers containing photographs of her loved ones. Zeltzer’s Thai workers are officer Eloni’s prime target of persecution when he’s not looking after his disabled father.
Synopsis
Near the Arava border crossing, several Ukrainian women pass through the barbed wire separating Israel from Jordan. On the other side of the border a former policeman named Franco picks them up. He now works for a gangster boss who runs an organized prostitution ring in the area. Franco takes an interest in Jana, and she’s also being sought out by a dumpy looking farmer named Zeltzer who has found a bag of hers containing photographs of her loved ones. The Thais that work on Zeltzer’s farm are being persecuted by Officer Eloni, a tough cop who simply doesn’t like them. He’s got to look after his disabled father and the only one who can help out is a Philippine gambling junkie named Eddie. Not surprisingly, his gambling debts have gotten him in Dutch with the gangster boss.... These three seemingly unconnected stories unfold in a multiethnic environment. Structured as a mosaic, the drama offers a surprising perspective on social conditions in a region lying near the Dead Sea.
About the director
Eyal Halfon (Netanya, Israel) graduated in history from Tel Aviv University. He has held jobs as a guide, lifeguard and journalist. In 1991 he wrote the script for the war movie Cup Final, and three years later he debuted as a director with the romantic drama The Italians Are Coming. Between 1995 and 2002 he shot eight medium-length documentaries. He received the greatest acclaim, however, for Circus Palestina (1998), a feature that took five Israeli Film Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Halfon’s latest writer-director creation, InSights (2003), won Best Drama at the festival in Jerusalem.
Contacts
Norma Productions
18 Levontin St., IL - 65112, Tel Aviv
Israel
Tel: +972 3 560 9311, +972 3 560 9312
Fax: +972 3 560 9443
E-mail: [email protected]
About the film
Color, 35 mm
World premiere
Section: | Official Selection - Competition |
---|---|
Director: | Eyal Halfon |
Screenplay: | Eyal Halfon |
Dir. of Photography: | Nili Aslan |
Music: | Avi Belleli |
Editor: | Einat Glaser Zarhin |
Producer: | Yoav Roeh, Assaf Amir |
Production: | Norma Productions |
Cast: | Evelyn Kaplun, Uri Gavriel, Avi Oria |
Contact: | Norma Productions |
Guests
Yoav Roeh
Producer
Eyal Halfon
Film Director
Evelyn Kaplun
Actor
Uri Gavriel
Actor
Assaf Amir
Producer
Arik Kaplun
Film Crew