Synonyms

Nadav Lapid won Best Film in Berlin for this intense, neurotic fever dream about a young Israeli man who goes to Paris to erase his identity.

"The film has Yoav (Tom Mercier) turn up in Paris in the hope that France will save him from what he sees as the madness of his country. He refuses to speak Hebrew, and a dictionary becomes his most valuable resource as he walks the streets muttering in French. Things do not begin well for him. Almost immediately all his belongings are stolen, and he is alone, naked and freezing in an apartment. Temporary salvation comes in the form of his neighbours, writer Emile (Quentin Dolmaire) and musician Caroline (Louise Chevillotte), who give him clothes, some cash, and become his first friends in Paris, as he embarks on a challenging new life. Mercier's unforgettable performance defies conventional description. Spending much of the film completely naked, he imbues Yoav with a forceful anger and unpredictability." (Sydney Film Festival)

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