''Aliyah'' (french: Alyah) is a 2012 French

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Elie Wajeman Elie and Earlsferry is a coastal town and former royal burgh in Fife, and parish, Scotland, situated within the East Neuk beside Chapel Ness on the north coast of the Firth of Forth, eight miles east of Leven. The burgh comprised the linked vi ...

.Boyd van Hoeij
Aliyah
''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', 20 May 2012Adrien Gombeaud
Alyah d'Elie Wajeman
'' Les Echos'', 19 September 2012

Plot

Alex, a 27-year-old

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

drug dealer who lives in Paris, plans to do his

Aliyah Aliyah (, ; he, עֲלִיָּה ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel, which is in the modern era chiefly represented by the Israel, State of Israel ...

and move to

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

for the chance of a better life.Guillaume Loison
Alyah d’Elie Wajeman
, ''

Le Nouvel Observateur (), previously known as (1964–2014), is a weekly French news magazine. Based in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, it is the most prominent French general information magazine in terms of audience and circulation. Its current editor is Cécil ...

'', 18 September 2012 His brother, Isaac, keeps pestering him for money. During the course of a

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...

dinner at their aunt's house, we learn they lack parental support. Alex's desire to move to Israel is not so much grown out of

Zionism Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a Nationalism, nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is ...

, but because nothing holds him back in France, in spite of his recent encounter with a

gentile Gentile () is a word that usually means "someone who is not a Jew". Other groups that claim Israelite heritage, notably Mormons, sometimes use the term ''gentile'' to describe outsiders. More rarely, the term is generally used as a synonym for ...

girl, Jeanne. The final scene highlights Israel's multicultural culture.

Cast

Pio Marmaï Pio Marmaï (born 13 July 1984) is a French actor. He has appeared in more than twenty films since 2008. Early life and education Marmaï was born on 13 July 1984. His mother is a former costume designer at the Opéra de Strasbourg, and his f ...

as Alex Raphaelson *

Cédric Kahn Cédric Kahn (; born 17 June 1966) is a French screenwriter, film director and actor. His films include ''L'Ennui'' (1998), based on the Alberto Moravia novel ''Boredom'', and '' Red Lights'' (2004), based on the Georges Simenon novel. His film ''R ...

as Isaac Raphaelson *

Adèle Haenel Adèle Haenel (; born 11 February 1989) is a French actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including two César Awards from seven nominations and one Lumières Award from two nominations. Haenel began her career as a child actres ...

as Jeanne *

Guillaume Gouix Guillaume Gouix (; born 30 November 1983) is a French actor, director and screenwriter. He starred in the limited television series ''Gone for Good'' (2021). Career Guillaume Gouix learned acting at the Conservatory of Marseille, then at the Re ...

as Mathias * Sarah Lepicard as Esther * David Geselson as Nathan * Olivier Desautel as Polo *

Jean-Marie Winling Jean-Marie Winling (born 1947) is a French actor. He has appeared in more than a hundred films since 1972. Filmography Theater External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Winling, Jean-Marie 1947 births Living people People from Sète French ma ...

as The father * Mar Sodupe as Anaëlle * Aimé Vaucher as Gabriel * Bertrand Constant as Claude * Marion Picard as Rébecca * Brigitte Jaques-Wajeman as The aunt * Louise Roch as Lucie * Zohar Wexler as Nadav *

Michaël Abiteboul Michaël Abiteboul is a French actor. Filmography Theatre References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abiteboul, Michael French male film actors Living people 21st-century French male actors Year of birth missing (living peop ...

as The

shaliah In Jewish law, a shaliaḥ ( he, שָלִיחַ, ; pl. , ''sheliḥim'' or ''sheliah'', literally "emissary" or "messenger") is a legal agent. In practice, "the shaliaḥ for a person is as this person himself." Accordingly, a shaliaḥ performs ...

Reception

The film was screened in the

Directors' Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festiv ...

section at the

2012 Cannes Film Festival The 65th Cannes Film Festival was held from 16 to 27 May 2012. Italian film director Nanni Moretti was the President of the Jury for the main competition and British actor Tim Roth was the President of the Jury for the Un Certain Regard section. ...

. It was also shown at the 2012

Haifa International Film Festival The Haifa International Film Festival is an annual film festival that takes place every autumn (between late September and late October), during the week-long holiday of Sukkot, in Haifa, Israel. History The festival was inaugurated in 1983 and w ...

and the

Cabourg Film Festival The Cabourg Film Festival (french: Festival du Film de Cabourg – Journées romantiques or simply ) is an annual film festival held every June in Cabourg, France. Founded in 1983 by writer-journalist Gonzague Saint Bris, the festival is dedica ...

. ''

'' reviewed the film favorably, suggesting the cast was "solid." and that the film deserve a "wider audience" than "Francophone arthouses and Jewish fests". For '' Les Echos'', it is "the best French film in a long time", as it shows many social classes in Paris, and admits the fact that Paris, as pretty as it is, has nothing left to offer.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aliyah 2012 films 2012 drama films Films about Jews and Judaism French drama films 2010s French-language films 2010s French films