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Foreign Letters

  • 2012
  • G
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
280
YOUR RATING
Foreign Letters (2012)
Ellie, a 12-year-old immigrant girl from Israel, slowly wins Thuy's trust, a Vietnamese refugee her age. As the two rely on each other for guidance to life in America, they become inseparable. When their trust is broken, Ellie must give up her most prized possession in order to win her friend back.
Play trailer2:51
2 Videos
5 Photos
ComedyDrama

From different worlds, Ellie and Thuy form a powerful bond that helps Ellie cope with the hardships of adjusting to her new life in the states.From different worlds, Ellie and Thuy form a powerful bond that helps Ellie cope with the hardships of adjusting to her new life in the states.From different worlds, Ellie and Thuy form a powerful bond that helps Ellie cope with the hardships of adjusting to her new life in the states.

  • Director
    • Ela Thier
  • Writer
    • Ela Thier
  • Stars
    • Noa Rotstein
    • Dalena Le
    • Guy Sagee
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    280
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ela Thier
    • Writer
      • Ela Thier
    • Stars
      • Noa Rotstein
      • Dalena Le
      • Guy Sagee
    • 12User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos2

    Foreign Letters
    Trailer 2:51
    Foreign Letters
    Foreign Letters
    Clip 0:56
    Foreign Letters
    Foreign Letters
    Clip 0:56
    Foreign Letters

    Photos4

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    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Noa Rotstein
    • Ellie Thir
    Dalena Le
    • Thuy Le
    • (as Dalena Thuy-Anh Lê)
    Guy Sagee
    • Shlomit
    Ela Thier
    Ela Thier
    • Ellie's Mom…
    Daniel Bahr
    • Ellie's Brother
    Udi Razzin
    Udi Razzin
    • Ellie's Dad
    Daphna Thier
    • Ellie's Aunt
    • (as Daphne Thier)
    Uri Thier
    • Ellie's Grandfather
    Paula Ânh-Nguyêt Lê-Hicks
    • Thuy's Mom
    Alan Quoc Lê
    • Thuy's Dad
    Jade Gurman-Chan
    • Thuy's Sister
    Tammy Rui
    • Thuy's Sister
    Nguyen Tuan Phat
    • Thuy's Brother
    Melissa Tangen
    • Jennifer
    Cassidy Zuber
    • Mary
    Vladimir Kochetkov
    • John
    • (as Vlad Kochetkov)
    Alex Marinaccio
    • Matthew
    Virginia Hastings
    • ESL Teacher
    • Director
      • Ela Thier
    • Writer
      • Ela Thier
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    6.9280
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    Featured reviews

    10marc0443

    Great "from the heart" film

    The lessons learned from childhood friendships apply to friendships between adults. In this simple yet profound story are thought provoking issues about expectations, disappointment, and forgiveness. It's also about alienation, loneliness and the difficulty of assimilation. This is the kind of film that stays with you long after you've seen it. There are no special effects, no sex, no violence and yet there wasn't one moment where I wasn't fully involved and totally absorbed. I know the acting was good because there wasn't one second that I was aware that they were acting. This is an excellent movie to watch with children or grandchildren.
    8jaybsigel

    Lovely

    This is a true story of 2 preteen children brought to America by their families. One came from Israel, the other from Vietnam. The actual author of this plays the mother of the child. It's main perspective is from hers, which while Israeli, has very little to do with religion. It shows their commonality in their isolation from the other school children in dress, language and culture. These children manage to accept each for what they are, something that most adults don't seem to know how to do. I found it very touching.
    7mossgrymk

    foreign letters

    It's got some affecting moments and the kids are cute (indeed, maybe too much so) but this film is way too schmaltzy for me, with the Israeli music and songs cloyingly so, and the conflict too easily resolved. C plus.
    10porfirii-36436

    No one ever knows how life will turn out

    An incredibly touching and talented film. First of all, it will resonate with immigrants, especially their children. It acutely addresses the challenges of adaptation, assimilation, and adjustment in a new place.

    The relationships between children, particularly their friendships, are complex in themselves.

    It becomes even more difficult when a child finds themselves in a new group, at a new school, in a new country, without knowing the language at all-especially during their teenage years.

    Only those who have experienced this personally can fully understand the scale of these challenges.

    This film gives us the opportunity to look inside these situations, allowing us to see the baggage of difficult relationships from within.
    10ingridwinter-31613

    Shows Anericans for what they are

    Typical ignorant, mangecake bullies bullying like always. Very compelling story told in a unique way. Loved it.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Noa Rotstein, Dalena Le and Udi Razzin reprise their basic roles from the short predecessor alternative A Summer Rain (2009) also by Ela Thier, whereby Dalena Le's character is named Hoa instead of Thuy Le. Thier also makes an appearance in the original.
    • Goofs
      When Ellie opens her shoe box full of money to buy the typewriter, you can clearly see that one of the coins inside is an Alaska quarter. The 50 State Quarter program did not begin until 1999, and the Alaska design was not minted until 2008, so it would have been impossible for Ellie to have one in 1982.
    • Quotes

      Ellie Thir: John loves me, and I love him. But we can't talk. We are...

      [flips through her Hebrew/English dictionary]

      Ellie Thir: shy.

      Thuy Le: Why don't you tell him you like him?

      Ellie Thir: I don't like him, I love him.

      Thuy Le: Why don't you tell him you love him?

      Ellie Thir: It's sad. I want to say it to him, and he wants to say it to me. But we can't. We are shy.

    • Connections
      References E.T., l'extra-terrestre (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      Foreign Letters
      Music and lyrics by Chava Alberstein

      Arranged and performed by Chava Alberstein

      From the Album Foreign Letters by Chava Alberstein

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 22, 2012 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Hebrew
      • Vietnamese
    • Production companies
      • NBTV Studios
      • Thier Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $40,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 1h 39m(99 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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