Winner of several European and Israeli film accolades, Or (a name meaning "light" in Hebrew) is a raw and punishing film centering on a teen's attempts to forge a better existence for herself and her mother, an alcoholic prostitute who may not want to be saved anyway. Despite Or's daily struggles, she manages to remain tenacious and headstrong and to find some solace in her tentative relationship with a classmate; but it may be the interworkings of economics, gender, and fate that ultimately condemn her to following in her mother's footsteps. Told simply, without the aid of a soundtrack or complicated filming techniques, it's "a work of exceptional subtlety... captivating and heart-rending." (LA Times) More at kino.com
2004, color, 1 hour 40 minutes, France/Israel