'KADDISH FOR A FRIEND'
Germany , 2011.Role:
Neil Belakhdar, Ryszard Ronczewski
Awards and festivals:
2013. – Miami Jewish Film Festival – Audience Award for Best Feature
2012. – Festival AUGENBLICK, Elsass, France – Le Prix du Public
2012. – MFG-Star, Baden-Baden, Germany – MFG-Star to Leo Khasin
2012. – Jewish Arts and Film Festival of Fairfield County, CT, USA – Audience Choice Award
2012. – Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival – Audience Award for Best Feature
2012. – Warsaw Jewish Film Festival – Grand Prix Award
2012. – Warsaw Jewish Film Festival, Poland – Grand Prix for Best Movie and Best Actor to Ryszard Ronczewski
2012. – Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival – Audience Award Best Feature
2012. – Religion Today Film Festival Trento, Italy – Special Jury Mention and Prix Giuria Interreligiosa Trento da Silvio Franchi
2012. - "Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers" Film Festival, Shaoxing, China – Best Foreign Actor by Audience Award to Ryszard Ronczewski
2012. – Dayton Jewish International Film Festival, Ohio – Audience Award for Best Feature Film
2012. – Jfilm: The Pittsburgh Jewish Film Forum, Pennsylvania – Audience Award for Best Narrative Film 2012. – Kirchliches Filmfestival Recklinghausen, Germany – Main Award
2012. – Filmfestival Turkei, Nürnberg, Germany – Audience Award
2011. – Washington Jewish Film Festival – Audience Favorite Feature Award
2011. – Castellinaria International Film Festival – Winner of Main Award CASTELO D'ORO
2011. – Boston Jewish Film Festival – Audience Award for Best Feature Fiction Film
2011. – Tashkent International Film Forum – Special Jury Award "Dialogue of Cultures in Art"
2011. – Giffoni International Film Festival – Special Jury Mention
Summary:
Growing up in a Palestinian refugee camp, 14-year-old Ali learned to hate Jews at an early age. After he and his family escape to a new life in Berlin, Ali longs to be accepted by his fellow Arab youths in the public housing project. In a test to prove himself, Ali breaks into the apartment of his neighbor Alexander, an elderly Russian Jewish war veteran. But Ali’s "friends" follow him into the apartment and vandalize it. When Alexander unexpectedly returns home, he recognizes only Ali and reports him to the police. To avoid being sentenced and deported, Ali is forced to seek out the trust and forgiveness of his enemy. "Kaddish for a Friend" is tragicomical story of friendship, trust and art of forgiveness.
