Director Eytan Fox spares no punches in his newest film The Bubble. Cleverly balancing romance and playfulness with heart-wrenching tragedy and loss, Fox ably demonstrates his mastery of storytelling by weaving together a complicated and profound narrative that offers genuine reflection on the Palestinian-Israeli political turmoil, and how the bigger picture directly impacts on the everyday mini-dramas of Israeli youth today.

When called to serve on a military checkpoint, Noam (Ohad Knoller, - Yossi in Yossi and Jagger) in improbable and stressful circumstances meets a cute Palestinian guy named Ashraf (Yousef 'Joe' Sweid - Rafik in Walk on Water). When Ashraf turns up at the apartment in “the bubble” of downtown Tel Aviv, which Noam shares with twentysomething Lulu and Yali, the two men embark on an intense giddy love-affair far removed from the pressures and the reality of regional fighting not many miles away. In the minds of these liberal young friends, Noam’s and Ashraf’s relationship is a symbol of hope and peace for the future. Assuming a Hebrew name, Ashraf commences work in Yali’s trendy café. Without any legal papers, and in constant danger of exposure, Ashraf has to flee back home and arrives just as his sister is about to marry her boyfriend, who happens to be a member of Hamas.

Featuring songs by Belle & Sebastian, Le Tigre, Acid House Kings, and a beautiful score by Israel’s biggest rock star Ivri Lider, The Bubble is so powerful that it is set to pierce your heart. The MGLFF is extremely honored to bestow our 2007 Career Achievement Award, sponsored by HBO, on Eytan Fox, without a doubt Israel’s most interesting and courageous contemporary filmmaker living today.

Preceded by

MGLFF 2007 Career Achievement Award sponsored by HBO Tribute to Eytan Fox

Total duration:117 min