PHILADELPHIA FILM CENTER | 1412 CHESTNUT STREET
Roman Shumunov | Israel | 2023 | 80 MIN | Hebrew, Russian with Hebrew and English subtitles
The massive Aliyah from the former USSR left an indelible mark on Israeli society. However, their integration into Israeli society was not without challenges and sacrifices. The film captures the profound narrative of the monumental exodus from the Soviet Union to Israel during the 1990s, as seen through the eyes of the “Generation 1.5”: those who were born in the USSR and immigrated to Israel as children or teenagers. Now, three decades later, fully assimilated adults, they grapple with their identity and sense of belonging in their adopted homeland. They contemplate the discrimination and racism experienced, the compromises made by them and their parents for assimilation, and question whether the profound life-altering shift was indeed worthwhile.