Or shoulders a lot: she’s 17 or 18, a student, works evenings at a restaurant, recycles cans and bottles for cash, and tries to keep her mother Ruthie from returning to streetwalking in Tel Aviv. Ruthie calls Or “my treasure,” but Ruthie is a burden. She’s just out of hospital, weak, and Or has found her a job as a house cleaner. The call of the quick money on the street is tough for Ruthie to ignore. Or’s emotions roil further when the mother of the youth she’s in love with comes to the flat to warn her off. With love fading and Ruthie perhaps beyond help, Or’s choices narrow.
4 out of 5 stars (based on 1 review)
General information
2023-03-19
“Or” (also known as “My Treasure”) is a 2004 Israeli drama film directed by Keren Yedaya. The film tells the story of a single mother named Ruthie (played by Ronit Elkabetz) and her teenage daughter Or (played by Dana Ivgy), who live in a poor neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Ruthie works as a prostitute to support herself and her daughter, but Or is ashamed of her mother’s profession and tries to distance herself from her.
The film explores the complex relationship between Ruthie and Or, as well as the struggles of poverty and social stigma. “Or” won the Caméra d’Or award for best first feature film at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and was also nominated for six Israeli Academy Awards.
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