Footnote (film)
Encyclopedia
Footnote is a 2011 Israeli
drama film written and directed by Joseph Cedar
, starring Shlomo Bar Aba and Lior Ashkenazi
. The plot revolves a power struggle between a father and his son who both teach at the Talmud
department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. The film won the Best Screenplay Award
at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
. Footnote won nine prizes at the 2011 Ophir Awards, becoming Israel's entry for the 84th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
explained why he chose to make a film that focuses on Hebrew University's Talmud department: "It is the smallest department in the university, but it is famous worldwide for its uncompromising methods, and its unforgiving attitude toward the notion of 'mistake.' Once I started hearing stories from within this department, about mythological rivalries between scholars, stubbornness on an epic scale, eccentric professors who live with an academic mission that is bigger than life itself, even if its topic is radically esoteric, I fell in love with them all, and they became the centre of this story." The film was produced by United King Films and Movie Plus. It received support from the Israel Film Fund, http://www.jerusalemfilmfund.com/English.aspx and the AVI CHAI Foundation
.
The film marked the return to cinema after 20 years for Shlomo Bar Aba, a stage comedian, in the role of the father. Bar Aba rehearsed and formed his character for six months. Lior Ashkenazi
, who was raised in a secular home, prepared for his role by taking Talmud classes at the Hebrew University and let his beard grow for eight months.
on 14 May, winning the Best Screenplay Award
. It was released in Israel on 2 June through United King Films.North American distribution rights for the film were acquired by Sony Pictures Classics
.
called the film "brilliant and audacious", and wrote: "Cedar uses dramatic cinematography, music and visual effects to signal that this is a film about an earth-shaking battle, at least in its protagonists’ hearts and minds. The acting is outstanding, notably by Bar-Abba and Ashkenazi." Cedar received the Cannes Film Festival's Best Screenplay Award
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
drama film written and directed by Joseph Cedar
Joseph Cedar
Yossef Cedar is an Israeli film director and screenwriter. He has won a Silver Bear and an Ophir Award for Best Director, and an Ophir Award for writing a Best Screenplay. He also won the best screenplay award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. for his film Footnote .-Biography:Cedar was born in...
, starring Shlomo Bar Aba and Lior Ashkenazi
Lior Ashkenazi
Lior Ashkenazi , is an award-winning Israeli screen and stage actor.- Biography :Lior Ashkenazi was born to Sephardi Jewish immigrants from Turkey who moved to Israel in 1964. He grew up in the Neveh Yehoshua neighborhood in Ramat Gan. His father, Shmuel, worked as a printer. His mother, Victoria,...
. The plot revolves a power struggle between a father and his son who both teach at the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. The film won the Best Screenplay Award
Best Screenplay Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Screenplay Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival...
at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
. Footnote won nine prizes at the 2011 Ophir Awards, becoming Israel's entry for the 84th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
Cast
- Shlomo Bar Aba as Eliezer Shkolnik
- Lior AshkenaziLior AshkenaziLior Ashkenazi , is an award-winning Israeli screen and stage actor.- Biography :Lior Ashkenazi was born to Sephardi Jewish immigrants from Turkey who moved to Israel in 1964. He grew up in the Neveh Yehoshua neighborhood in Ramat Gan. His father, Shmuel, worked as a printer. His mother, Victoria,...
as Uriel Shkolnik - Alisa Rosen as Yehudit Shkolnik
- Alma ZackAlma Zack-Biography:Zack was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1970, and grew up in Ramat Aviv. Her father is pianist Yonatan Zack and her mother is Adi Etzion, an actress and singer. She has a twin brother, Yoram, and an older brother, Dudi. She attended the Herzliya Hebrew High School and served in the Israel...
as Dikla Shkolnik - Daniel Markovich as Josh Shkolnik
- Micah LewensohnMicah LewensohnMicah Lewensohn is an Israeli theater director and actor.Lewensohn is a graduate of the Israeli Music Conservatory in Tel Aviv.After completing his studies at New York University Film School and Theater Directing – he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant, serving as the Assistant...
as Yehuda Grossman - Yuval Scharf as Noa the reporter
- Nevo Kimchi as Yair Fingerhut
Production
Director Joseph CedarJoseph Cedar
Yossef Cedar is an Israeli film director and screenwriter. He has won a Silver Bear and an Ophir Award for Best Director, and an Ophir Award for writing a Best Screenplay. He also won the best screenplay award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. for his film Footnote .-Biography:Cedar was born in...
explained why he chose to make a film that focuses on Hebrew University's Talmud department: "It is the smallest department in the university, but it is famous worldwide for its uncompromising methods, and its unforgiving attitude toward the notion of 'mistake.' Once I started hearing stories from within this department, about mythological rivalries between scholars, stubbornness on an epic scale, eccentric professors who live with an academic mission that is bigger than life itself, even if its topic is radically esoteric, I fell in love with them all, and they became the centre of this story." The film was produced by United King Films and Movie Plus. It received support from the Israel Film Fund, http://www.jerusalemfilmfund.com/English.aspx and the AVI CHAI Foundation
AVI CHAI Foundation
AVI CHAI is a private foundation endowed in 1984 by Sanford Bernstein, a well-known successful investor who become a Modern Orthodox Baal teshuva and who had wanted to further the cause of outreach to alienated and assimilated Jews worldwide. Avi-Chai functions in the United States and in Israel...
.
The film marked the return to cinema after 20 years for Shlomo Bar Aba, a stage comedian, in the role of the father. Bar Aba rehearsed and formed his character for six months. Lior Ashkenazi
Lior Ashkenazi
Lior Ashkenazi , is an award-winning Israeli screen and stage actor.- Biography :Lior Ashkenazi was born to Sephardi Jewish immigrants from Turkey who moved to Israel in 1964. He grew up in the Neveh Yehoshua neighborhood in Ramat Gan. His father, Shmuel, worked as a printer. His mother, Victoria,...
, who was raised in a secular home, prepared for his role by taking Talmud classes at the Hebrew University and let his beard grow for eight months.
Release
Footnote premiered in competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
on 14 May, winning the Best Screenplay Award
Best Screenplay Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Screenplay Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival...
. It was released in Israel on 2 June through United King Films.North American distribution rights for the film were acquired by Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics is an art-house film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment founded in December 1991 that distributes, produces and acquires specialty films from the United States and around the world. Its co-presidents are Michael Barker and Tom Bernard...
.
Reception
Hannah Brown of The Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
called the film "brilliant and audacious", and wrote: "Cedar uses dramatic cinematography, music and visual effects to signal that this is a film about an earth-shaking battle, at least in its protagonists’ hearts and minds. The acting is outstanding, notably by Bar-Abba and Ashkenazi." Cedar received the Cannes Film Festival's Best Screenplay Award
Best Screenplay Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Screenplay Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival...
.
See also
- List of submissions to the 84th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Israeli submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film