Festival 2009The Tale of Nicolai

THE TALE OF NICOLAI & THE LAW OF RETURN ÎNTOARCEREA LUI NICOLAI
Documentary Specifications	Biography / Biografie
trailer not available / Official Website THE TALE OF NICOLAI & THE LAW OF RETURN ÎNTOARCEREA LUI NICOLAI Ha'agada al Nicolai ve'chok ha'shvut Ofek David Israel 2008 54 min Director: Ofek David Photography: Dror Lebendiger Editing: Arik Lahav-Leibovich Production Company: Edna & Elinor Kowarsky/Eden Production World Distribution & Sales: Eden Production Address: Edna & Elinor Kowarsky/Eden Production, 84 Arlozorov st, Tel Aviv, 62647, Israel Tel./ Fax: 0097235273403 E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it	DAVID OFEK Film School graduate. Co-creator of the TV series Bat-Yam – New York and Melodrama my Love. Studii de film. Co-realizator al serialelor de televiziune Bat-Yam – New York şi Melodrama my Love.
	Filmography / Filmografie
	2006 - A Hebrew lesson 2003 - No. 17 1999 - 5 Love Stories - Spanish Orchard in America
	Awards / Premii
	Best Documentary Award - The Wolgin Award, The Jerusalem International Film Festival (2008) Best director & Best editing, The Jerusalem International Film Festival, for A Hebrew lesson (2006) Best Film, DocAviv - Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival, for No. 17 Best Documentary, Israeli Academy Awards, for No. 17 Special Jury Award, Hot Docs International Film Festival, for No. 17 (2004) International Press Award, Chicago Documentary Film Festival, for No. 17 Best Documentary, Syracuse International Film Festival, for No. 17 Best Film, DocAviv- Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival, for 5 Love Stories (2000) Best Documentary, Israeli Film Festival, SUA, for 5 Love Stories

Synopsis / Sinopsis

The story of Nicolai begins in a tiny, remote village in the Romanian region of Moldavia. With the collapse of communism, Nicolai - like many thousands of others villagers - suddenly found himself out of work, so he decided to seek his fortune overseas, far from his family and home. For three years he worked as a guest laborer in Israel, exploited to the hilt by the company that sent him there. He had little contact with his wife, who gave birth in his absence. Finally, determined to gain control of destiny, Nicolai fled his employer and became an "illegal". He was caught by the police and sent to prison, but suddenly his life took an abrupt turn. The film chronicles the dramatic moments experienced by Nicolai, and raises ethical questions about the life of migrant workers in Israel, and about Israeli legislation regarding national identity.

Povestea lui Nicolai începe într-un sătuc uitat de lume din Moldova. După căderea comunismului, Nicolai s-a trezit şomer, la fel ca alte cîteva mii de oameni din zonă. Atunci s-a hotărît să-şi caute norocul în străinătate, departe de casă şi de familie. A muncit în Israel timp de trei ani, exploatat la sânge de firma care l-a trimis acolo. În tot acest timp, a ţinut legătura prea puţin cu soţia lui, care, între timp, i-a născut un copil. În cele din urmă, Nicolai s-a hotărît să ia taurul de coarne. A plecat de la patron, a devenit „ilegal”, poliţia l-a prins şi a ajuns la închisoare. Dar soarta îi rezerva o surpriză. Aducând pe ecran povestea lui Nicolai, filmul pune în discuţie viaţa imigranţilor şi legislaţia statului Israel referitoare la naţionalitate.

ASTRA FILM FESTIVAL 2009

Programming / Programare
Wednesday 28 - Hall B - 21h45 / Miercuri 28 - Sala B - 21h45

Films in International Competition / Filme in Competitie - International
THE ABSENCE, Ricardo Greene, Chile/UK
A BLOOMING BUSINESS, Ton Van Zantvoort, The Netherlands
BRIDES OF ALLAH, Natalie Assouline, Israel
DONKEY IN LAHORE, Faramarz K-Rahber, Australia
GANDHI'S CHILDREN , David MacDougall, Australia
GEARING UP, Sheetal S. Agarwal, Hong Kong
GLORIOUS EXIT , Kevin Merz, Switzerland
HORSEMEN , Nancy Muquing Wu, China
THE LAST RITES OF THE HONORABLE MR. RAI , Jayasinhji Jhala, USA
MONTI MOMENTS:MEN'S MEMORIES IN THE HEART OF ROME,Michael Herzfeld,USA
NORTH-SOUTH.COM , Francois Ducat, Belgium
ROUGH CUT , Firouzeh Khosrovani, Iran
SWEETGRASS , Lucien Castaing, Taylor & Ilisa Barbash, USA
THE TALE OF NICOLAI & THE LAW OF RETURN , Ofek David, Israel

FESTIVAL PROGRAM

film screenings

AFF09 Film Program (.pdf)

Mo.26 | Tu.27 | We.28 | Th.29

Fr.30 | Sa.31 | Su.01

events

Mo.26 - Su.01

FILM ARCHIVE

ASTRA FILM manages an extensive documentary film collection with public screening facilities. The ASTRA FILM archive started in 1990, and it has collected since thousands of documentaries produced in over 70 countries.

Due to our focus on the Eastern European and Romanian production, the ASTRA FILM archive holds a unique collection of documentaries documenting the issues of post-communism and transition in the region.