Summer of Aviya

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Summer of Aviya

(1988,96 mins)

Starring: Gila Almagor, Kaipo Cohen, Marina Rosetti, Eli Cohen, Avital Dicker

This Israeli film is based on the bestselling autobiographical novel by celebrated Israeli Film and theater actress Gila Almagore. It is set in the summer of 1951 in the newly established state of Israel. The film chronicles the life of ten-year-old Aviya, whose warm, loving and fiercely independent mother, Henya (played by Almagore herself, is tortured by periodic mental breakdowns. Henya's psychological and emotional scares stem from her horrid experience during the Holocaust and from the loss of her husband during the war. She was once considered to be a beautiful and courageous partisan fighter, yet now she is constantly mocked by native Israelis for her erratic behavior. She walks the thin line between sanity and madness attempting to forge a life for herself and her daughter in the new realities of Israel. Her Daughter Aviya, is a bright girl with a vivid imagination, yet one that is mocked by her fellow youth. Her relationship with her mother is a complex one, at times affectionate yet also fragile. Aviya fantasizes that when she if could only find her father then all her/her mother's problems would cease and her family would be whole again. Aviya's wild imagination regarding her quest to find her father leads to the climax of the film. The summer of Aviya ends with Aviya coming to terms with her the realities of her life and her reaching a maturity beyond her years.

The film acts as a memoir about Almagore's life and provides insights into Israeli society of the early pre-state period. The film has been the recipient of many Israeli prizes as well as various international awards including the Silver Bear Award from the Berlin Film Festival, Best Foreign - San Remo Festival, and Best Director/ Best Actress -Silver Menorah Award

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095433/