Through the journey of two Afghanistani refugees, this gritty quasi-documentary film bears witness to an ongoing global human tragedy: the plight of refugees and displaced persons who will do anything to survive and improve their lives through `illegal` immigration from east to west. This moving relevant film gives viewers a visceral experience of what it means to be without a home and a country.
53rd Berlin International Film Festival
Awards of the Ecumenical Jury
The film shows the life of an Israeli family whose members have to cope after the death of the father with grief, identity and communication problems. On the one hand, the director explores the tense dynamic between the different ages within the family. On the other hand, he shows in an indirect way the dramatic psychological impact of the political conflicts in the Near East on the everyday family life.
On the first sight a dull and slow movie - as the life of the protagonist must have been. It is a story of a trash collector, a man of great inner strength, generosity and capacity for suffering, friendship and love. From his poverty, Edi responds to the loneliness in the lives of the people with whom he shares daily life, giving all he has, including his own physical well-being.