“a sprightly, shrewd and ingenious black comedy of middle age and disappointed ambition” The Guardian
Dazzlingly inventive, this biting, darkly witty tale of father-son rivalries within the Israeli academic establishment is an astute study of pride, envy and temptation. It concerns the bitter rivalry between a father and son, both professors in Talmudic studies at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, which intensifies when it’s announced each is to receive a prestigious honour. Cedar’s acerbic, Cannes prize-winning script is almost novelistic in its deft analysis of the pair’s differences and similarities and its often hilarious depiction of the arcane rituals of Israel’s academic establishment. At the same time, a brilliantly inventive, truly cinematic style echoes the film’s content; even the title alludes to a tiny but crucial plot point, to the personality of the modest but conscientious father and to an aspect of the film’s own sophisticated narrative structure. The fabulous score, meanwhile, perfectly suits a study of small-scale familial and academic conflict which assumes, for all involved, the dimensions of an epic struggle between old and new, truth and lies, right and wrong. Utterly fresh, it’s a real treat. - Geoff Andrew, BFI London Film Festival
Winner, Best Screenplay Award, Cannes Film Festival