The Appointed 1990    star_border 5.5
Shmaya (Shuli Rand), a small-time magician whose career consists of gigs at local venues in the north of Israel, meets Oshra (Ronit Elkabetz) at one of his shows, who possesses genuine mystical powers. Shmaya makes Oshra part of his act and together, they perform real-life feats of magic and miracles before their slack-jawed audiences. Meanwhile, Shmaya’s father – a holy man with his own loyal following, is dying. He asks his followers to bring him his estranged son, so that he can take his place after his death and lead their community. Shmaya does just that and goes on to become a spiritual leader. However, his ongoing attraction to Oshra is now on a collision course with his new calling.

Late Summer Blues 1987    star_border 7.8
A group of close friends celebrate the bittersweet changes coming to their lives during the summer of their high-school graduation: adult responsibilities, adult romance -- and the soberingly adult fact that some of their number are being drafted into the Israeli army. This has very much the feel of a high-school beach-party movie -- with music, and in Hebrew -- until a sudden and disturbingly realistic reminder of their own mortality finally slashes through the kids' cheerful, close-knit obliviousness.