Au bout du monde à gauche

The year 2004 was a huge film release year in Israel. There were over 100 feature films Israeli films released which is a record number and record-setting numbers went to the theaters in Israel to see many movies. Apparently one in four saw this movie which tells already something. I don't remember once looking at my watch during this movie which says a lot. This movie flowed right through without any dull moment and had many jokes laced throughout. The two young main actresses are both incredibly talented and are both very believable in their parts. The theme of fitting in to new surroundings are universal but never quite so pronounced as when a new wave of immigrants comes into Israel. Also themes of friendships, neighbors, fidelity and others are examined with interesting results. Must see movie!

It is true that this film was a major hit in Israel and no wonder one can easily guess why ? One wild guess is that it did all it could to portray a hippie dippy picture of the immigrant question.The immigrants in question are from India and Morocco and the film is about their efforts to find a firm footing within Israelian society.The film fails to score as its depiction of immigrants is much too unreal,lacks credibility and to top it all a lot of irrelevant material is added which bears no link to the film's plot line.The Indian actors in this film have been dubbed as failures in India and watching them act in an Israelian film the people wondered as to how they landed such roles for themselves.The game of cricket in a film from Israel like this one was a pure gimmick as the film maker wanted to cash the popularity of this sport in Asian subcontinent.This is a film one must watch only to ascertain what made it so famous.

This movie is full of characters and incidents, almost as if the writers felt they might never have the chance to write again, but I think that consistently it is about people trying to repair their wounded pride. The two immigrant communities involved-- assigned housing not in the center of Israel nor yet in Eilat (the road sign says it's 170 kilometers to Eilat) but in a tiny desert town-- have different native languages but they share a resentment at having come down in the world from their pre-emigrant lives and seeing no way back. The men resent their factory jobs and ultimately strike against their employer. Some of the women resent their lack of opportunity and try to prove their worth by taking lovers. The story is set in the 1960s and includes occasional narration from the point of view of the present, making it a sort of "Our Town" or "I Remember Mama" saluting the loved ones of the past-- as if everything were different now, although in today's society too the argument could still be made that geography is destiny.

For non-Israelis, Left Turn at the End of the World is a revealing look at conflicts between Jewish communities originating in different parts of the world. Forced to live next to one another in a desolate "development town" in the Negev, Indian Jews from Bombay and Moroccan Jews, each confronting a loss of status (or imagined status) in their countries of origin, begin by despising one another and ultimately learn to live with one another, mainly through the agency of two teenage girls who befriend one another despite their differences in outlook. For those who do not speak Hebrew comfortably, this film is easier to follow than most Israeli films, not only because the subtitles are especially well done, but because the Indian Jews converse among themselves in English and the Moroccan Jews mostly in French with only rudimentary Hebrew to link them. Although one could summarize the story without ruining the experience for a viewer, it is not the plot that matters but the conflict and the accommodation. The acting is splendid, though only a couple of the actors were known (outside Israel) before this film, and only a couple have been heard from since. The two girls -- both are actually in their 20's -- the man-eating widow, the Indian father and mother and the Moroccan father and mother all distinguish themselves. It's funny at times, emotionally wrenching and true.

I have watched this film 2.5 times and it has touched me from start to finish . Sure it is entertainment , but isn't that what the movies are for ? I will recommend it for a Film Festival I am Chairing The acting is credible.The two protagonist are divine in their own ways & the narrative flow keeps one involved from the charming beginning to the surprise ending . There are so few pleasant movies coming out of Israel to offset the gloom and doom and directors constant attacks at Israeli Society, therefor this one wins in the charm parade .It is a just a great flick for mature audiences. Watch it and be drawn in as you take the voyages of discovery with the protagonists . R J LIFF