Asia (film)
| Asia | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ruthy Pribar |
| Written by | Ruthy Pribar |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Daniella Nowitz |
| Edited by | Neta Dvorkis |
| Distributed by | Menemsha Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | Israel |
| Languages |
|
Asia (Hebrew: אסיה) is a 2020 Israeli drama film directed by Ruthy Pribar, starring Alena Yiv and Shira Haas. The film was premiered online at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), where it won the awards for Best Actress (Shira Haas), Best Cinematography (Daniella Nowitz) as well as the Nora Ephron Prize (Ruthy Pribar). After winning Best Picture at the 30th Israeli Academy Awards (Ophir Awards), it was automatically submitted as the Israeli entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[1] The film won eight additional Israeli Academy Awards (Ophir Awards) out of a total twelve nominations, including both Best Leading Actress and Best Supporting Actress. gained North American distribution rights to the film in June 2020, and announced its theatrical premiere at Film Forum in New York City in 2020.[2]
Premise[]
Asia is a mother-daughter drama film.[3][4][5] A thirty-five year old single mother named Asia immigrated to Jerusalem from Russia with her daughter Vika, where she works as a nurse at a hospital.[3][6][7] IndieWire wrote:[8]
Asia is not your average mom. She’s free-spirited, open-minded and non-judgmental; but all that is put to the test when her teenage daughter – who happens to be differently abled – announces that she’s ready to lose her virginity.
Cast[]
- Alena Yiv as Asia
- Shira Haas as Vika
- Tamir Mula as Gabi
- as Stas
- Eden Halili as Natalie
- Or Barak as Roy
- Nadia Tichonova as Valentina
- Mirna Fridman as Rose
- Tatiana Machlinovski as Lena
- Evgeny Tarlatzky as Boris
Production[]
Filming for Asia took place in late 2018.[9][10] The film was edited by Neta Dvorkis and produced by Yoav Roeh and Aurit Zamir with casting direction by Esther Kling,[11] the same director who assigned Shira Haas with her award-winning debut role in Princess (2014).[12]
Release[]
Asia premiered online at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, which could not take place physically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][14] The film is spoken in Hebrew and Russian with English subtitles.[8] The movie had its first screening on 17 April 2020[15][16]
Reception[]
Critical response[]
As of June 2021, the film holds a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 27 reviews with an average rating of 7.52 out of 10.[17] Eric John of IndieWire described the film as "A modest, intimate mother-daughter drama with one of the most wrenching finales in recent memory."[3] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Ruthy Pribar makes an assured feature debut, balancing sobriety with emotional intensity in Asia"[7]
Accolades[]
After premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, the film won 3 awards: Best International Actress for Shira Haas, Best Cinematography for Daniella Nowitz and the Nora Ephron Prize for Ruthy Pribar.[18] The latter is a $25,000 prize awarded to a female writer or filmmaker "with a distinctive voice".[19] The jury of the festival (incl. Danny Boyle, William Hurt) wrote about Haas: "Her face is a never-ending landscape in which even the tiniest expression is heartbreaking; she’s an incredibly honest and present actress who brings depth to everything she does."[20] After winning Best Picture at the 30th Israeli Academy Awards (Ophir Awards), it was automatically selected as the Israeli entry for consideration for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards..[21]
| List of awards and nominations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Israeli Academy Awards (Ophir Awards) | Best Picture | Ruthy Pribar | Won | [22][23] | |
| Best Lead Actress | Alena Yiv | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Shira Haas | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Neta Dvorkis | Won | |||
| Best Casting | Esther Kling | Won | |||
| Best Original Score | Karni Postel | Won | |||
| Best Photography | Daniella Nowitz | Won | |||
| Best Art Direction | Tamar Gadish | Won | |||
| Best Makeup | Hila Elkayam | Won | |||
| Best Director | Ruthy Pribar | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Best Sound Design | Amir Buberman, Seagull & Gull | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Inbal Shuki | Nominated | |||
See also[]
- List of submissions to the 93rd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
- List of Israeli submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
References[]
- ^ Brown, Hannah (13 November 2020). "Asia wins the Ophir Award and will represent Israel at the Oscars". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (June 24, 2020). "Tribeca Drama 'Asia', With 'Unorthodox' Star Shira Haas, Scores North America Deal — Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Kohn, Eric (24 April 2020). "'Asia' Review: 'Unorthodox' Star Shira Haas Is Devastating in Emotional Mother-Daughter Drama". IndieWire. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "Israeli movie 'Asia' scoops 3 prizes at Tribeca Film Festival". Times of Israel. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "'Unorthodox' Star Shira Haas Wins Best Actress for Tribeca Festival Film". Jewish Journal. 2 May 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ Harvey, Mary-Catherine (18 April 2020). "Tribeca Film Festival 2020: Asia | Review". The Upcoming. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Rooney, David (20 April 2020). "'Asia': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Erbland, Kate (3 March 2020). "Tribeca 2020 Unveils Features Lineup: 'The Trip to Greece,' 'King of Staten Island,' 'Bad Education,' and 'Shirley'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "Shira Haas on Instagram: "ASIA & VIKA. On-screen mother and daughter. 3 days left for shooting