Aliyah

About The Film

A Parisian Jewish drug dealer ensnared by family ties dreams of a better life in the Promised Land in ALIYAH, a slow-burning character study and edgy street drama.

The action centers on the push-and-pull relationship between lost soul Alex (Pio Marmai) and his self-destructive older brother Isaac (Cedric Kahn), a clingy, smooth-talking freeloader forever in need of a loan. Stuck in a dead-end existence as a petty drug dealer, Alex sees a chance to break free and start a new life when his cousin (David Geselson) decides to open a restaurant in Tel Aviv. Paradoxically funding his “aliyah” to Israel by peddling cocaine, the ante is upped further by his romance with sultry Gentile student Jeanne (Adele Haenel), residual feelings for his ex-girlfriend Esther (Sarah Le Picard), and his brother’s emotional blackmail.

Director Elie Wajeman’s impressively stylish and atmospheric debut, ALIYAH features moving performances, and was warmly received by critics at its premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival.