General Information

Israel, 2005 | Doc, 50 min, | Video

Director: Dani Dotan, Dalia Mevorach

Synopsis

The Ashkenazim is a humorous and moving film about young Israelis in search of their Ashkenazi roots. These women and men seek to reconnect with their Jewish European heritage which they feel was suppressed in order for their ancestors to acclimate to their new Israeli and Middle Eastern environment.
The Ashkenazim follows the lives of a group of young women and men as they reconnect to their Ashkenazi roots. Assaf Galay forms "Ashkenazi Identity" to promote a cultural revolution in Israel. Tammy Ben-Tor creates an electro- Yiddish sexy cabaret. Itamar Handelman Ben Canaan, always ashamed of his Ashkenazi roots, falls in love with Olga, a new immigrant from Russia, and with her returns to the life style of his European ancestors. What makes these Israelis look back with longing at their Ashkenazi history and can they bring some of their forefather`s lost Jewish European culture to the Middle East?

Un film tragi-comique sur de jeunes israéliens à la recherche de leurs racines ashkénazes. Ils tentent de redéfinir une identité israélienne construite sur le refoulement du passé. Chacun cherche un moyen de se réapproprier ses racines . Mais ces produits du melting-pot israélien pourront-ils jamais importer la culture de leurs ancêtres au Moyen-Orient ?

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