Naftali Alter

A man comes to town that lies on the northern border and intends to commit suicide. The townspeople rescue him, but later they discover he’s a well known poet, the kind whose death place can become a site of pilgrimage.

A modern-day children’s fairy tale that is also a parody of prank films which, in 1980s Israel, were a highly popular film genre. In the magical land of Bubble Gum where all children’s dreams are made, live two princesses: the kind-hearted Tzipi (Tsippi Shavit) and her wicked sister, Pitzi (Seffy Rivlin). Every year on 1 April (April Fools’ Day), the princesses’ birthday, the two hold a prank competition amongst themselves, with the winner getting to rule the land of Bubble Gum for one year. Rounding off Shavit and Rivlin’s adventure and prank fest is a talking robot and a group of children including one Natasha Braunstein – who will go on to become US actor Natasha Lyonne of Orange is the New Black and Russian Doll fame.

Akiva and Shulem Shtisel, father and son, sit on a little balcony overlooking streets of the Geula neighborhood of Jerusalem. A year has passed since the mother died. All the other children have left the nest, and only Shulam and Akiva remain - quarreling, making up, and laughing about themselves and the rest of the world. All will change when Akiva meets Elisheva.