Synonyms
The winner of this year’s Golden Bear at the Berlinale evolves around the notion of nationality: what should you do when you don’t want to belong to the country you were born in?
Yoav, a young Israeli, lands in Paris in the hope that France and the French language will redeem him from the Israeli madness. In Paris, things do not exactly get off to a good start for Yoav. He knocks on the door of a flat, only to discover the place is empty and, while he is taking a bath there, his things are stolen. Yet this young Israeli had arrived with such great expectations. He is determined to get rid of his nationality as quickly as possible. For him, being Israeli is like a tumor that has to be surgically removed. Becoming French, on the other hand, would quite simply mean his salvation.
Based on his own experiences, director Nadav Lapid explores the challenges of putting down roots in a new place. His attempt to find himself awakens past demons and opens up an existential abyss.