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Eli & Ben

  • Israel
  • Feature
  • 2008
  • 87 min.
  • Director(s): Ori Ravid
  • Producer(s): Mosh Danon – Inosan Productions

Synopsis

A boy must question the sincerity and intentions of adults — including his father — in this coming of age drama from Israeli filmmaker Ori Ravid. Eli (Yuval Shevach) is a twelve-year-old boy with a mischievous streak who is dealing with most of the usual annoyances facing a boy his age — the school bullies keep picking on his decidedly nerdy friends and he has a crush on a cute girl who only has eyes for another boy. But these troubles fade into insignificance when his father Ben (Lior Ashkenazi) becomes the focus of a scandal. Ben is an architect working for the city, and he’s been accused of taking thousands of dollars in bribes; Ben insists he’s innocent, but if an investigation proves otherwise, he could face a lengthy prison sentence. The accusations against Eli’s father become a major news story and the talk of his classmates. As Eli deals with the stress and uncertainty, he’s befriended by Amos (Tzahi Grad), a police detective who wants to help him with his problems. But Eli isn’t certain if Amos is sincere in his interest, or if he’s just looking for information about Ben.

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Credits

Director(s)

Ori Ravid

Producer(s)

Mosh Danon – Inosan Productions

Cinematography

Itai Vinograd

Editor

Isaac Sehayek, Gila Cohen

Cast

Ben - Lior Ashkenazi; Eli - Yuval Shevach; Amos - Tsahi Grad; Grandfather - Nissan Nativ; Ronit (Mother) – Yael Hadar; Hilit – Mily Eshet

Original Language

Hebrew

Subtitles

English

Produced with the help of

Israeli Flm Fund, Keshet, Yes

Sound designer

Ashi Milo, Avi Mizrachi, Erez Eyni

Festival Highlights

  • Winner

    First Prize: "The Goldene Klappe" by Adult Jury
    28th Children Film Festival 2010 in Augsburg, Germany
    2010
  • Winner

    First Prize for Best Feature Film
    Festival Youngabout
    2010
  • Winner

    Grand Prix Award
    Moscow Children Film Festival
    2010
  • Winner

    Audience Award
    Boston Jewish Film Festival
    2010
  • Special Jury Mention

    Palm Beach International Film Festival
    2010

Miami Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2011

Palm Beach International Film Festival, USA, 2010

Buster International Film Festival, Denmark, 2010

Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland, 2010

Bologna International Film Festival, Italy, 2010

Brooklyn Israel Film Festival, USA, 2010

San Diego Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2010

Boston Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2009

Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Canada, 2010

Vancouver Jewish Film Festival, Canada, 2010

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2010

Moscow International Film Festival, Russia, 2009

Haifa International Film Festival, Israel, 2009

Mumbai International Children`s Film Festival, India, 2009

UK Jewish Film Festival, UK, 2009

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Reviews

  • Eli and Ben is a thoughtful look at father-son relationships and corruption in Israeli society.
    Hannah Brown, The Jerusalem Post