Or

Plot synopsis

A teenager named Or (Dana Ivgy) works a variety of odd jobs to help support herself and her mother. When her mother, Ruthie (Ronit Elkabetz), returns home after a hospital stay, Or tells Ruthie she has found her a job cleaning houses.

However, Ruthie is unmotivated by her new poorly paid job and quickly returns to prostitution.

In the meantime, Or begins a burgeoning romance with her neighbour and childhood friend, Ido. After they sleep together, Ido's mother confronts Ruthie and makes it clear that though she likes Or she does not approve of their relationship.

Her relationship with Ido and his family crumbling, and finding herself unable to make rent and desperate to save her mother from the streets, Or begins to prostitute herself as well, first by offering sexual services to her landlord and finally by joining an escort service.

Reception

Or won 10 awards, including five at the Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for a further 8. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a freshness rating of 77%.

Awards and nominations

Israeli Film Academy

Best Actress - Dana Ivgy (won)

Best Art Direction - Avi Fahima (nomination)

Best Director - Keren Yedaya (nomination)

Best Film - (nomination)

Best Screenplay - Keren YedayaSari Ezouz (nomination)

Best Supporting Actress - Ronit Elkabetz (nomination)

Bogota Film Festival

Best Film - Keren Yedaya (nomination)

International Film Festival Bratislava

Grand Prix - Keren YedayaRonit ElkabetzDana Ivgy (won)

Cannes Film Festival

Critics Week Grand Prize - Keren Yedaya (won)

Golden Camera - Keren Yedaya (won)

Prix Regards Jeune Award for Best Feature Film - Keren Yedaya (won)

SACD Screenwriting Award - Keren YedayaSari Ezouz (won)

Young Critics Award for Best Feature - Keren Yedaya (won)

European Film Awards

European Discovery of the Year - Keren Yedaya (nomination)

Jerusalem Film Festival

Cast

Dana Ivgy as Or

Ronit Elkabetz as Ruthie

Katia Zinbris as Rachel

Meshar Cohen as Ido