Esau (film)

Esau
Directed byPavel Lungin
Screenplay byPavel Lungin
Evgeny Ruman
Based onEsau
by Meir Shalev
Produced by
  • Serafima Kokhanovskaia
  • Pavel Lungin
  • Haim Mecklberg
  • Alexander Turkot
  • Estee Yacov-Mecklberg
StarringHarvey Keitel Shira Haas
CinematographyFred Kelemen
Edited byTim Pavelko
Music byKatia Tchemberdji
Production
company
2-Team Productions
Release date
  • November 4, 2019 (2019-11-04) (HKJFF)
Running time
110 minutes
CountriesRussia
Israel
United Kingdom
LanguagesEnglish
Russian

Esau is a 2019 Russian-Israeli-British drama film directed by Pavel Lungin and starring Harvey Keitel and Shira Haas. It is based on Meir Shalev's novel of the same name.[1][2][3][4]

This is Longin's first English-language film. However, it is not the first film in which Longin filmed and worked with Israeli actors; before it, he made the film "The Winner" and also directed the Russian adaptation Rodina of the series Prisoners of War.

The film tells the story of a 40-year-old writer who returns to his family home where he was raised, and he escaped after half a lifetime to face his brother, who stayed instead. After inheriting their family bakery and marrying the woman they both loved.

The film premiered at the 2019 Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival.[5]

Plot

As a teenager, Asu fled to America. He denies his past but never established new roots. He writes successful books about baking bread, but he never became a true writer. He has no wife, no children, and his large house is empty. A late-night phone call changes his life. He hears a familiar female voice asking for his help. Twenty years later, he returns home. The head of the family was his brother Yaakov, who inherited their father’s bakery, became a father of children, and is now the husband of the woman they both once dreamed of.

Cast

  • Shira Haas as Leah, Young Jacob's Wife
  • Harvey Keitel as Abraham, Esau and Jacob's Father
    • Omri Raveh as Young Abraham
  • Yuliya Peresild as Sarah, Esau and Jacob's Mother
  • Mark Ivanir as Jacob, Esau's Brother
    • Lion Ravich as Young Jacob
  • Kseniya Rappoport as Cheznous, Leah's Friend
  • Lior Ashkenazi as Esau, Jacob's Brother
    • Yoav Rotman as Young Esau
  • Omer Goldman as Romi, Leah and Jacob's Daughter
  • Helena Yaralova as Tzviah, Leah's Mother
  • Valery Smirnov as Michael, Grandfather
  • Lola S. Frey as Kafrit
  • Gila Almagor as Bulica
  • Oren Rehany as Doctor

References

  1. ^ Kamin, Debra (27 March 2018). "Harvey Keitel to Star in Pavel Lungin's 'Esau,' Modern Retelling of Biblical Story". Variety. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  2. ^ Steinberg, Jessica (4 April 2018). "Harvey Keitel to star in film version of Meir Shalev's 'Esau'". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  3. ^ Allison Kaplan Sommer (27 May 2018). "Filming in Israel, Harvey Keitel Transforms From Hollywood Gangster Into Jewish Patriarch". Haaretz. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Harvey Keitel to Star in Film Based on Novel by Renowned Israeli Author Meir Shalev". Haaretz. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  5. ^ "20th HKJFF 2019 Schedule". Retrieved 4 July 2020.