Israeli Film Festival and Penn Middle East Film Festival present 'Longing' by Avi Gabizon

Ariel Bloch (Shai Avivi), a well-to-do concert pianist, and his ex-girlfriend Ronit Hilou (Assi Levy) meet for lunch nearly 20 years after their breakup. Ronit reveals that she was pregnant when they separated and has since raised their son Adam (Adam Gabay), who died in a car accident one week prior to their meeting. Over the next several weeks Ariel learns to love the son he never met by forming relationships with the people who surrounded him in life.

Longing presents a clever series of serendipitous events that ultimately allow Ariel to experience some of the major milestones of fatherhood. Going from initial discomfort in even calling Adam his son to literally engaging in fisticuffs on his behalf, the improbable becomes believable through Ariel’s actions. At its core the film explores the concept of fatherhood and the challenges of finding meaning in death.

Carefully crafted

Despite this being only his fourth feature in 27 years, writer/director Gabizon demonstrates a stylistic nuance typically associated with more prolific auteur filmmakers. Favoring well-composed shots that often use static camera work, the sudden and surprising reveals that take place throughout the film punctuate an otherwise understated directing style.

Take the film’s opening sequence, which begins with an uncomfortable meeting of exes. Staged in a staid setting with stilted conversation between former lovers, the scene erupts into sudden action when Ronit reveals her secret. Several other times throughout the film, Ariel learns shocking new information about Adam. Gabizon expertly weaves these lulls and peaks of action each time as Ariel digests new information and adjusts accordingly, piecing together the personality of his late son.

The film’s pacing and tone feel unique to Gabizon's style. At times it seems almost vérité as the story unfolds in natural ways, dialogue never feeling scripted despite its occasional absurdity. Gabizon also exhibits a touch of magical realism in a dream sequence where Ariel meets his dead son, embellishing details of a sexually explicit poem written to a French teacher.

Much of the story hinges on Avivi’s performance. He’s stunning in the role, making Ariel’s transformation from a total stranger to father-in-mourning seem completely natural.

For most actors the inclination might be to play up the grief aspect of his bereavement, but Avivi’s portrayal skews closer to a detective-film gumshoe. It is no wonder he was nominated for Best Actor at the 2017 Awards of the Israeli Film Academy.

My only critique is that, for some who grew up without one parent, Longing does have potential to offend in its oversimplified statement that biological parentage results in automatic affection. However, given the task of condensing something as complex as fatherhood into a 90-minute existential study, the film does excellent work.

If the quality of this film is indicative of the rest of Gabizon’s work, I hope we don’t have to wait another decade for his next production.