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Small town life and casual racism in 1960s Israel

A study in the differences between Indian and Moroccan Israeli communities set against the ochre colours of the Negev desert

October 10, 2024 13:11
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Sisters in arms: Liraz Charhi as Sara and (right) Netta Garti as Nicole
1 min read

Turn Left at the End
of World

UKJFF | ★★★✩✩

Though the subject is about immigration to Israel, this is no rose-tinted view of what it is to make aliyah. Set in the 1960s against the ochre colours of the Negev desert, Avi Nesher’s 2004 whimsical comedy drama focuses on the lives of two immigrant families. One is an Indian family whose expectations of life in Tel Aviv are dashed when they are shunted off to a frontier town. The other are their new Moroccan neighbours, who view the new arrivals with as much suspicion as they do ignorance. One thinks of Jews arriving in Israel after experiencing racism. Less so of the bigotry that some Jews brought with them.