Turn Left at the End of the World (Hebrew: סוף העולם שמאלה, Sof HaOlam Smola) is a 2004 Israeli comedy drama film written, produced and directed by Avi Nesher and starring Netta Garti and Liraz Charhi.
It was the first film that Nesher made in Israel since Rage and Glory (1984) as he had made films in Hollywood in the intervening years.
The film was a major commercial success in Israel and has since come to be regarded as a classic in the pantheon of Israeli cinema.
Contents
Plot
The film takes place in a small Negev development town in 1968 and narrates the culture war of Moroccan and Indian olim, focusing on the relationship between two girls, Sarah Talkar and Nicole Shushan.
Cast
Netta Garti: Nicole Shushan
Rotem Abuhav:Jossy, Nicole's sister
Jean Benguigui: Isaac Shushan, Nicole's father
Ruby Porat-Shoval: Jeannette Shushan, Nicole's mother
Liraz Charhi: Sarah Talkar
Kruttika Desai: Rachel Talkar
Parmeet Sethi: Roger Talkar
Aure Atika: Simone Toledano
Production
Outdoor scenes were filmed in Midreshet Ben-Gurion.
Reception
The film participated in international film festivals in the United States, Australia, India and European countries, and received several awards, including the Audience Award at the festival Taormina Film Fest and the Jury Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival. In Israel, it won two Ophir Awards for Best Art Direction and Costume Design. It was also nominated for Best Actress, (Garty); Best Supporting Actress, (Charhi); Cinematography; and Soundtrack.
Following its release in Israel, the film sold over 600,000 tickets, breaking box office records.