''The Witch from Melchet Street'' is a 2007
Israeli modern-day
urban fairy tale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
about magic and first love. It is based on a book by Israeli author
Gadi Taub and is geared towards both children and adults as it tells the story of the magical summer that Assaf fell in love for the first time with a neighborhood girl and became close friends with the witch who lived on his street.
Summary
''The Witch From Melchet Street'' is told from the perspective of a grown up Assaf, remembering what it was like to be young and in love and the quirky friend who helped him through it. Plagued by her own broken heart, the three-hundred-year-old witch (with a surprisingly youthful appearance) finds it easy to sympathize with her little neighbor friend, who's spending his summer pining over a little neighborhood girl who hardly acknowledges his existence.
Nearly two decades after the summer Assaf is still gripped by his memories. Since then, the little girl has grown up and moved away, but Assaf never left. “When you live in the house you grew up in, your childhood is always right beside you,” he explains. “You buy cigarettes where you used to buy popsicles, you sit at a cafe overlooking your old school.”
Now, when Assaf spots his first love wandering through his neighborhood, he can't help but follow a few steps behind her, keeping her hot pink dress in sight at all times. As he watches her walk, he can't help but remember the brassy little girl who, long ago, showed no remorse while breaking his heart.
Awards
* ''Official Selection'' in
Istanbul Children's Film Festival, 2007
* ''Official Selection'' in
Chicago Children's Film Festival, 2007
See also
Other dramas set modern in Israel:
*''
Alila''
*''
The Postwoman
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
''
*''
You Don't Say
''You Don't Say!'' is an American television game show that had three separate runs on television. The first version aired on NBC daytime from April 1, 1963 to September 26, 1969 with revivals on ABC in 1975 and in syndication from 1978 to 1979 ...
''
*''
Time of Favor
''Time of Favor'' (in Hebrew, Ha-hesder) is Israeli writer-director Joseph Cedar's 2000 debut film, starring Aki Avni. The film plays out a psychologically complex love triangle in the middle of terrorist conflict in the Israeli occupied West Ban ...
''
References
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External links
The Jewish Channel's write-upThe New Israeli for Cinema and TV write up
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witch from Melchet Street
Israeli comedy-drama films
2007 films
2007 comedy-drama films
2000s coming-of-age films
2000s romantic fantasy films
2000s teen fantasy films