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Telling Nonie

  • Israel
  • Documentary
  • 2024
  • 50 min.
  • Director(s): Paz Schwartz
  • Producer(s): Osnat Saraga, Orly Atlas-Katz, Inbal Levi, Noa Lahav-Movar

Synopsis

Tormented by his role in a 1950s Gaza assassination, Geizi Tsafrir, an elderly Israeli agent, seeks redemption. Reflecting on his time with Shin Bet (Israeli Secret Service) and the killing of an Egyptian lieutenant colonel, he decides to confront his past. He contacts the colonel’s daughter, Nonie Darwish, once intent on avenging her father’s death but now a prominent voice against radical Islam and a supporter of Israel. The mysterious email from Tsafrir sets Darwish on an emotional journey into her past, culminating in a meeting with him in Los Angeles. This winner of the Haifa International Film Festival’s Best Israeli Documentary explores intricate emotions, history’s complexities, and the bumpy path toward mutual understanding and forgiveness.

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Credits

Director(s)

Paz Schwartz

Producer(s)

Osnat Saraga, Orly Atlas-Katz, Inbal Levi, Noa Lahav-Movar

Script

Paz Schwartz, Sagi Bornstein

Cinematography

Uriel Sinai

Editor

Sagi Bornstein, Tamara Mamon

Original Language

Hebrew, English, Arabic

Subtitles

English, Hebrew

Co-Director

Uriel Sinai

Sound Design

Rotem Dror

Festival Highlights

  • WINNER

    Best Documentary Film
    Haifa International Film Festival
  • WINNER

    Audience Award
    Punta del Este Jewish Film Festival
    2024
  • WINNER

    Prize for Intercultural Dialogue
    Jüdisches Filmfestival Berlin & Brandenburg
    2024

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, USA, Official Selection, 2024

Reviews

  • "In their film, directors Paz Schwartz and Uriel Sinai crafted a captivating, suspenseful and human drama, where the protagonists realize that after many years, despite how hard it is for them to forgive, they must acknowledge the pain of the other, too."
    - Haifa IFF Jury Motivation for Best Documentary Award
  • "The winning film tells a personal story of forgiveness and redemption. It portrays an unlikely relationship between people who could regard each other as enemies but end up in calm and open dialogue. With a special touch of Jewish humor, the film also speaks in an extraordinary way about the courage to be true to yourself. "
    - Jüdisches Filmfestival Berlin & Brandenburg Jury Motivation for the Prize for Intercultural Dialogue