Eli & Ben
Synopsis
A boy must question the sincerity and intentions of adults — including his father — in this coming of age drama from Israeli filmmaker Ori Ravid. Eli (Yuval Shevach) is a twelve-year-old boy with a mischievous streak who is dealing with most of the usual annoyances facing a boy his age — the school bullies keep picking on his decidedly nerdy friends and he has a crush on a cute girl who only has eyes for another boy. But these troubles fade into insignificance when his father Ben (Lior Ashkenazi) becomes the focus of a scandal. Ben is an architect working for the city, and he’s been accused of taking thousands of dollars in bribes; Ben insists he’s innocent, but if an investigation proves otherwise, he could face a lengthy prison sentence. The accusations against Eli’s father become a major news story and the talk of his classmates. As Eli deals with the stress and uncertainty, he’s befriended by Amos (Tzahi Grad), a police detective who wants to help him with his problems. But Eli isn’t certain if Amos is sincere in his interest, or if he’s just looking for information about Ben.
Credits
Director(s)
Ori Ravid
Producer(s)
Mosh Danon – Inosan Productions
Cinematography
Itai Vinograd
Editor
Isaac Sehayek, Gila Cohen
Cast
Ben - Lior Ashkenazi; Eli - Yuval Shevach; Amos - Tsahi Grad; Grandfather - Nissan Nativ; Ronit (Mother) – Yael Hadar; Hilit – Mily Eshet
Original Language
Hebrew
Subtitles
English
Produced with the help of
Israeli Flm Fund, Keshet, Yes
Sound designer
Ashi Milo, Avi Mizrachi, Erez Eyni
Festival Highlights
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Winner
First Prize: "The Goldene Klappe" by Adult Jury28th Children Film Festival 2010 in Augsburg, Germany2010 -
Winner
First Prize for Best Feature FilmFestival Youngabout2010 -
Winner
Grand Prix AwardMoscow Children Film Festival2010 -
Winner
Audience AwardBoston Jewish Film Festival2010 -
Special Jury Mention
Palm Beach International Film Festival2010
Miami Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2011
Palm Beach International Film Festival, USA, 2010
Buster International Film Festival, Denmark, 2010
Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland, 2010
Bologna International Film Festival, Italy, 2010
Brooklyn Israel Film Festival, USA, 2010
San Diego Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2010
Boston Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2009
Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Canada, 2010
Vancouver Jewish Film Festival, Canada, 2010
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2010
Moscow International Film Festival, Russia, 2009
Haifa International Film Festival, Israel, 2009
Mumbai International Children`s Film Festival, India, 2009
UK Jewish Film Festival, UK, 2009
Reviews
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"Eli and Ben is a thoughtful look at father-son relationships and corruption in Israeli society. "
- Hannah Brown, The Jerusalem Post
