Our Loves

The latest from veteran writer-director Avi Nesher (TIFF ’16’s Past Life) is a dramatic network narrative about the ways that love intensifies in the face of mayhem. With a cast that features many of Israel's biggest stars, such as Lena Fraifeld (TIFF ’22’s Valeria is Getting Married), Hadas Yaron (TIFF ’14’s Félix & Meira), and Hisham Suliman (Munich), Our Loves expresses the fortitude of the human spirit.

A religiously observant young woman (Daniel Gimpel) is suddenly rejected by her fiancé in a voice message. A retired policeman (Shalom Michaelshwilli) in the throes of a bitter divorce demands that his teenage son testify against his mother. A hard-nosed community relations officer (Magi Azarzar) in a same-sex relationship seeks to keep her sexuality and lover (Yaron) hidden from her aging mother. Sometimes a good lie is better than a bad truth, she explains.

These and other characters are preoccupied with their personal dramas and grievances. But once catastrophe strikes, they merge to become a community struggling for survival, forced to connect and search for a chance at redemption.

With grace and empathy, Nesher pivots between each of Our Loves’ narrative threads, weaving them into a rich tapestry that exposes the roots of trauma and the necessity of hope. Centring the film on the intimate details of ordinary human lives, Our Loves is moving and profound.

ANITA LEE