The Flood (2010)

Everything is complicated in Yoni's life. He's almost 13, real gifted, but physically undeveloped and struggles daily to grow up before his threatening up-coming Bar Mitzva.

Director:

Guy Nattiv

Writers:

Noa Berman-Herzberg, Guy Nattiv

Stars:

Ronit Elkabetz, Tzahi Grad, Michael Moshonov

4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ronit Elkabetz	...	Miri Roshko
Tzahi Grad	...	Gidi Roshko (as Tzachi Grad)
Michael Moshonov	...	Tomer Roshko
Yoav Rotman	...	Yoni Roshko
Lir Katz	...	Yael
Dekel Adin	...	Shahar
Yaacov Cohen	...	Rabbi (as Yakov Cohen)
Yoram Toledano	...	Doron
Shmil Ben Ari	...	Gurman
Esti Zakheim	...	Yehudit
Eliran Or Chen	...	Duki
Liron Koren	...	Atzmon
Lana Ettinger	...	Michal the Counsellor
Noa Barkai	...	Eti
Noa Ben Shmuel	...	Netta

Storyline

Everything is complicated in Yoni's life. He's almost 13, real gifted, but physically undeveloped and struggles daily to grow up before his threatening up-coming Bar Mitzva; He sells homework in order to secretly buy a body building wonder powder, which so far does nothing, he stretches every night with heavy weight tied to his legs and screams with full force in front of the wind to thicken his girlish, unstable voice, that gave him the ridiculous nick name - Helium. His new classmates, a year older and two heads taller, bully him at every chance they get and his parents barely say a word to each other and communicate through him, if at all. As if all this isn't enough - only a week before the ceremony - his autistic brother, Tomer, 17, hidden for years in a hostel that is now shut down - returns home. This shakes not only Yoni's life, but the unstable foundation of the entire family.

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Plot Keywords:

based on short film | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

"Dedicated to the Memory of GIDEON GAVI"

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Soundtracks

Mensaje (Fandangos)
Written and performed by Vicente Amigo

User Reviews

Step Back a Bit and Let the Metaphor In :-)

This universal story of coming-of-age for a young man is complicated by his being of a Jewish family. Added to the usual angst and uncertainty of an identity-struggling 12 year-old is the traditional Bar Mitzvah requirement. This untimely demand (think Wedding-Planning for non- Jewish cultures) couldn't come at a more difficult time. Also pretty universal is Yoni's experience of being very intelligent, but of small stature, making him a bully-target at school. He not only wishes to be bigger and stronger, he uses his intelligence to finesse his tormentors into helping him get there via a plan to build up his body (Remember the Charles Atlas "Don't-let-him-kick- sand-in-your-face" ads in boys magazines and comics of the 1950's?). So, at this challenging time in his life, his submitting to being force-fed the Hebraic Noah story by a demanding Rabbi seems totally useless to him while he struggles for empowerment in his non-nurturing family. As if this were not enough, his mentally-handicapped older brother is suddenly thrust into his family's life, already at a tipping point. But at a time when all seems nearly hopeless, the tip is in an unexpected direction! Each character in the film, though for the most part more secular than religious, begins to absorb the meaning of their common Jewish heritage, that G-d can provide a way of not only coping with the burdens in life, but that faith, i.e. that something better can lie on the other side of adversity, can bring grace into lives that seem to be spiraling downward. Or, for the more secular, that there is always room to grow and emerge, even in the face of ridicule and "unsolvable" problems. This understanding, this hope, is touchingly and visually offered in the final scenes, without dialog or drum-beating, when we are offered an opportunity to see the biblical/mythical story of Noah and the Flood in a manner relevant to our time: that even for those religiously marginalized believers who cope without losing hope, a new way of seeing can lie ahead - now THAT is what cinematic art is all about!

Details

Country:

Israel Germany Canada France

Language:

Hebrew

Release Date:

10 March 2011 (Israel)

Also Known As:

Potop

Filming Locations:

Kfar Azar, Israel

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Channel Movies, Intuitive Pictures, Metro Communications

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1