Next To Her

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★★★★★ "Truthful and emotionally sensitive...utterly gripping" - The Upcoming

Director: Asaf Korman

Stars: Liron Ben-Shlush, Dana Ivgi , Liat Goren, Varda Ben Hur

Description

Chelli (Liron Ben-Shlush) has dedicated her life to helping her sister, Gabby (Dana Ivgy), a 24-year-old girl with a severe mental disability. The pair live together in a dingy apartment, existing in an unhealthily symbiotic bubble where everything from toothbrushes to baths are shared.

After a social worker insists that Gabby is enrolled in a day care centre and forges new friendships and routines, Chelli feels abandoned and embarks on a romance with a colleague, Zohar. They fall in love and he moves in, slowly helping her to find a healthy distance from her sister. However, when it becomes apparent that Zohar and Gabby have their own special bond, Chelli’s possessive streak is triggered and the extent of her co-dependence is revealed.

This is a tour de force from director Asaf Korman, who gains remarkable performances from his wife Liron Ben Shlush and Dana Ivgy, in the two lead roles .  Next To Her, based on Ben Shlush’s own experience of having a mentally disabled sister, is a stark, moving and naturalistic portrayal of how family ties can both bind and unravel us.

** Won – Best Supporting Actress (Dana Ivgy), Best Film, Best Director (Asaf Korman), Best Actress (Liron Ben-Shlush), Best Supporting Actor (Yaakov Zada Daniel) – Awards of the Israeli Film Academy**

** Won – Best Director – New Directors Competition – Chicago International Film Festival **

** Won – Best Film – Eurasian International Film Festival **

** Official Selection – Un Certain Regard – Cannes Film Festival **

Interview with Director Asaf Korman:

How did you come across the idea for this film?

The idea for the film and the characters came from my wife, screenwriter and actress Liron Ben Shlush. Back in 2009 — she was still my girlfriend then – she told me she wanted to write a script based on her own experiences growing up with a mentally disabled sister. Talking about it for a while, we understood that this film will not be about looking after; it will be about a woman neglecting her own life for the sake of another person, and the dangers this neglect enfolds.

Read the full interview here: /an-interview-with-asaf-korman-director-of-next-to-her/ 

Asaf Korman and Liron Ben-Shlush

Asaf Korman and Liron Ben-Shlush


  • "Truthful and emotionally sensitive... utterly gripping"
    -The Upcoming

  • "Asaf Korman's most radical achievement is to make the mental handicap that colours one of his heroines, an incidental yet authentically realised plot detail in a rich family drama"
    -Little White Lies
Cast: Liron Ben-Shlush, Dana Ivgi , Liat Goren, Varda Ben Hur
Director: Asaf Korman
Country: Israel
Language: Hebrew
Subtitles: English
Format: 16x9
Aspect Ratio: 1:1.85
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 90 mins
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
DVD Release Date: 25-04-2016
VoD Release Date: 11-03-2016
Cinema Release Date: 11-03-2016
DVD Extras: Interview With Dana Asaf Korman, Interview With Dana Ivgy and Trailer.
Dvd Catalogue Number: 5060265150334
Year: 2015

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