The Day After I’m Gone
היום שאחרי לכתי | Nimrod Eldar | Israel/France, 2019 | Hebrew (English subtitles) | Drama | 98m | DCP | IMDB | Distributor/Sales: Distributor | Festival marketing sample: Berlinale 2019 | Trailer
Description: Yoram, a safari park veterinarian, lives alone in Tel Aviv with his teenage daughter, Roni. They hardly speak with one another. In the middle of one night, he is startled by the sudden arrival of a suicide intervention team. They have come to check up on his daughter who has been posting suicidal messages on the internet. After her discharge from the hospital, he takes her to visit his in-laws. They live in a West Bank settlement near the Dead Sea. He hopes that this visit could help them heal their relationship.
Merits: Eldar skilfully unpacks the tragedy in Yoram and Roni’s lives. The Dead Sea coast with its cratered sinkholes is a metaphor for their loss. Some viewers may crave a neater resolution but this is wisely avoided. Instead we are treated to strong performances by veteran actor Menashe Noy as Yoram and Zohar Meidan as Roni in her feature debut. A particular pleasure for this reviewer is the brief cameo by ex-policeman Eran Naim (of Love Trilogy: Chained.) as the policeman on the suicide intervention team.
Rating: Teen suicide attempt.