A hybrid docudrama film that follows Israeli diplomat, Asher Naim, on a seemingly insurmountable mission to bring 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. As Asher learns more about these African Jews, he finds himself between worlds and facing a crisis of faith in himself and his country.
Exodus 91
Written by: Eitan Anner, Directed by: Micah Smith
(Israel 2022, 90 mins, Hebrew, Amharic, English, English subtitles)
Main Cast: Yoram Toledan, Shai Ferdo, Shmulik Calderon, Oshrat Ingedashet, Michal Yanai
Synopsis:
Asher Naim, an Israeli diplomat, is sent to Ethiopia to negotiate the release of 15,000 Ethiopian Jews from a country collapsing under famine and civil war. Working with his Ethiopian-Israeli colleagues who, themselves, immigrated to Israel a decade earlier, Asher begins to question if the Israeli government is using the operation as part of an elaborate publicity stunt to prove to the world that Zionism isn’t Racism. At the same time, the Ethiopians themselves question whether they are pawns in this scheme. With rebel forces closing in on the capital, Asher’s faith in his mission crumbles as he navigates the treacherous world of bureaucracy and politics.
The docudrama follows the international politics behind Operation Solomon - the 2 days airlift in May 1991, that brought almost the entire Ethiopian Jews to Israel in non-stop flights of 35 Israeli aircraft.
AWARDS, FESTIVALS & SCREENINGS
International Premiere - House of Tolerance Ljubljana International Film Festival 2022
USA Premiere - Austin JFF
Boca Raton JFF
Charlotte JFF
Mobile JFF
Bucharest JFF
Lee & Charlotte JFF
Tucson JFF
Palm Beach JFF
NYC JFF
Philadelphia Israeli FF
Australia JFF
Sarasota-Mantee JFF
Montreal Israeli FF
Finchley Synagogue
Miami JFF
East Bay JFF
Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema
Atlanta JFF
Columbia SC JFF
Denver JFF
Bnei Akiva of Los Angeles
Washington DC JFF
Gold Coast Int'l FF
Palm Springs JFF
Greater Baltimore JFF
Edmonton JFF
Northern NJ JFF