The Dune

Description

A complicated familial dynamic lies at the heart of Yossi Aviram’s unusually assured and moving first feature. Viewers first meet Hanoch, a laconic bicycle repairman living in a small town in the Israeli desert and seemingly more committed to playing chess with his buddy Fogel than to his pregnant girlfriend Yael. Meanwhile, in Paris, elderly missing-persons detective Ruben—shaken by an encounter with a depressed writer (Mathieu Amalric, making a strong impression in a single scene)—prepares for his retirement and searches for a new apartment with his longtime life partner Paolo. When Hanoch turns up in the City of Light and then makes a dash for the coast, a series of elliptical encounters and a mysterious incident at the beach slowly but surely bring him closer to Ruben and to a friendly stranger, Fabienne. Observing these seemingly disparate characters forge unexpected bonds is a true pleasure, as Aviram’s sensitive direction guides his intriguing protagonists through a series of quietly introspective scenes, allowing them time and space to achieve self-understanding never forced by plot machinations. Ruben and Paolo in particular are a true cinematic rarity: senior citizens in a loving same-sex relationship replete with tender kisses, shared joints and petty squabbles. With its mature take on the challenges and rewards of aging gracefully, reckoning with the past, and basking in the pleasures of a good chess game, a solo bike ride and steadfast companionship, The Dune is a deeply wise and satisfying debut by a very promising filmmaker. –Steven Jenkins

Film Details