'Here We Are' - Israili film

Post Reply New Topic

Nir Bergman has made a number of films about families and their dynamics, among them Broken Wings and his latest, Here We Are, which opens in theaters throughout Israel on Thursday, is a moving look at a family of two and their world.

They are Aharon (Shai Avivi), a divorced graphic artist, who lives in Tivon with his son, Uri (Noam Imber), a young man in his early 20s, who is on the autism spectrum. Uri is gentle and sweet, with a great sense of humor. He communicates with his father in an intimate shorthand that may not make sense to outsiders, but they clearly understand each other. The father and son enjoy a world that is rich in many ways and full of joy, as they travel back and forth on the Haifa-Tel Aviv railway line, where Aharon enjoys the views of the Mediterranean coast and Uri, more often than not, watches Charlie Chaplin movies on his tablet. They bike home and have a routine that both love.

Tamara (Smadi Wolfman), Uri’s mother, visits but it is Aharon who cares, entertains, soothes, and creates a structure for Uri. However, Aharon is in his mid-50s and while he has devoted himself for decades to giving Uri the best possible life, he will not live forever, and someday, some other solution will have to be found for his son’s care. Tamara and the social services establishment think the time has come: She has found a place for Uri in a residential community that sounds wonderful, where Uri will have art workshops and horseback riding.

HERE WE ARE was accepted to the Cannes Film Festival in 2020 and would have had its world premiere there had the festival not been canceled. It won four extremely well deserved Ophir Awards, for Bergman as director, for the brilliant, nuanced screenplay by Dana Idisis, and for both of its lead actors, Shai Avivi and Noam Imber, who won the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor Awards and who give extraordinary performances. It has played in festivals all over the world and has won a number of awards, many of which were, not surprisingly, Audience Awards. Shai Goldman’s cinematography drenches the screen in light and a rich score illuminates the action.