Jerusalem, Israel. Professors Eliezer and Uriel Shkolnik, father and son, have dedicated their lives to the study of the Jewish scriptures. Eliezer is a stubborn and methodical scholar who has never been recognized for his work; Uriel is a rising star, someone admired and praised by his colleagues. The fragile balance that has kept their personal relationship almost intact is broken in an unexpected way by a simple phone call.
Acting
Shlomo Bar-Aba's simmering resentment through sheer stillness
Writing
Dialogue so precise it feels like Talmudic commentary on itself
Cinematography
Cramped academic spaces that mirror emotional suffocation
Director
Joseph Cedar
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film satirizes Israel's academic 'prize economy,' where the Israel Prize carries enormous cultural weight—Cedar himself won it in 2007, adding delicious meta-layers.
The father-son casting was almost reversed: Lior Ashkenazi was initially approached for Eliezer. The age gap between actors is only 15 years despite playing father and son.
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