Israeli modern classic film ‘Turn Left at the End of the World’ turns 20

It’s the 20-year anniversary of the release of Avi Nesher’s modern classic, Turn Left at the End of the World, and the Tel Aviv Cinematheque is marking the occasion with a screening on October 28.

The movie was the first Nesher made after returning to Israel following a decade-long stint in Hollywood, and it drew about half a million viewers to theaters when it was released, a milestone in Israeli cinema. 

It tells a quirky story of a teenage girl who immigrates to Israel from India and goes to live with her family in a Negev development town, where she befriends a Moroccan girl. That’s the core plot, but it’s a wide-ranging story that looks at how Israel has treated immigrants from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, and features some great comedy, including scenes where Moroccan immigrants try to master the basics of cricket. The film is in Hebrew, French, English, Moroccan Arabic, and Hindi, a combination of languages that have likely never been featured in a single movie before, or since. 

Nesher's classic made stars of its actors

Turn Left at the End of the World made stars out of many of its young actors, including Neta Garty (Fauda) and Liraz Charchi (Tehran, Fair Game), and also featured such up-and-coming comics as Rotem Abuhab, Israel Katorza, and Mariano Idelman (Eretz Nehederet). If you have never seen David Gurfinkel’s gorgeous cinematography on the big screen, you haven’t really seen it the way it was meant to be seen.

Before the screening, there will be a conversation with Nesher, film critic Shmulik Duvdevani, and poet Roni Someck. 

For more information and to order tickets, go to cinema.co.il