A heartwarming father-and-son story.
2021-03-12
N/A
94 min
Aharon has devoted his life to raising his son Uri. They live together in a gentle routine, away from the real world. But Uri is autistic, and now as a young adult it might be time for him to live in a specialized home. While on their way to the institution, Aharon decides to run away with his son and hits the road, knowing that Uri is not ready for this separation. Or is it, in fact, his father who is not ready?
"Aharon" (Shai Avivi) has a close bond with his autistic son "Uri" (Noam Imber) and a strained relationship with his wife "Tamara" (Smadi Wolfman). As their son grows to manhood, he is becoming harder to control. He's a cheery and lively young man, but also one prone to tantrums and that makes his education difficult to organise. Finally, they manage to enrol him in a specialist school but on a trip together, the youngster refuses to go home, or to school. Dad is conflicted. He wants to spend time with his child but also realises that "Uri" needs to go to; to learn not just educationally but socially - and that is going to be a tough wrench for the whole family. Avivi delivers quite potently here as the man who is treading on eggshells most of the time, but it's Imber who really hits home as the engaging "Uri" who is gradually becoming a man in his own right. Intellectually ill-equipped, yes, but one no less determined to assert himself and that poses problems for those around him who love and have nurtured him, but who are going to have to adapt themselves if anyone has a chance to move on with their lives. It's at its most impactful when it's just the two men and both manage to convey the impression that there is a loving relationship between them whilst offering us a little humour at times, too. It's an episode in their lives - we join and leave a work in progress, which I thought added some integrity to a work that is, at times, quite a challenging film to watch - but worth it, I'd say.
