L ifestyle /C ulture
‘Asia’: A Study in Loneliness, Understanding
FI L M
ANDY GOTLIEB | JE MANAGING EDITOR
THE MAIN CHARACTERS
in “Asia” share a couple things
— loneliness, feeling out of
place — without sharing
anything at all.

That’s a small premise, but
in the well-acted award-win-
ning Israeli film written and
directed by Ruthy Pribar, it
more than carries this brief
window into the lives of the
title character (Alena Yiv)
and Vika (Shira Haas, coming
off her breakthrough perfor-
mance in “Unorthodox,” and
of “Shtisel” fame).

And while a film that explores
a dysfunctional mother-
daughter relationship, terminal
disease and sexual frustration
isn’t exactly light and cheery,
the gradual bond and under-
standing they forge is ultimately
uplifting. This is no tearjerker,
although the final scene may
leave your eyes a bit wet.

Asia is a 35-year-old Russian
expat single mother working
long hours as a nurse, while
17-year-old Vika does what
many teens with too much
free time and too little super-
vision do. In her case, she
hangs out with a skater crowd,
succumbing to peer pressure,
smoking pot, drinking and
thinking about or fighting off
the advances of teen boys.

That doesn’t sit well with
Asia, but she’s not avoiding
temptation either, as she has an
affair with one of the doctors at
the hospital and visits bars —
when she claims to be working
— to find one-night stands.

Neither’s happy,
and money’s tight. Their relation-
ship is a tense one, although
not atypical for many parents
and teens.

But Vika also is dealing
with a never-named degen-
erative disease that seems to
be progressing rapidly. When
she mixes her medication with
alcohol, she winds up in the
emergency room.

While Vika is tired of
hearing her mother’s admon-
ishments, she soon realizes that
she’s going to become depen-
dent on her mother for help and
lets her mother in a bit. In turn,
Asia loosens up as well.

For example, there’s a
scene where Vika, now using
a wheelchair, asks her mother
for a cigarette. After initial
consternation, Asia relents
and they bond over a smoke.

Not exactly “ABC Afterschool
Special” material, but effective
nonetheless. Vika, who is shown earlier
devastated by the cruel words
of a fellow teen she rejected,
confides that she doesn’t want
to die a virgin. They have a
heart-to-heart about men, with
Asia saying Vika was the only
thing she ever got from a man
that was worthwhile.

Asia hints to Gabi (Tamir
Mula), a male nurse trainee
who’s assisting with Vika’s care,
about her daughter’s wishes. That
morally compromises Gabi, who
has bonded with Vika.

And even as the bonds
develop, they remain tenuous.

Vika consents to have her
mother apply makeup, but after
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16 JULY 1, 2021
From left: Asia (Alena Yiv) and Vika (Shira Haas) share a small space, but little else.
Courtesy of Menemsha Films
From left: Asia and Vika enjoy a brief moment at the makeup table.

initial acceptance, demands
that Asia remove it.

At just 85 minutes, “Asia”
moves its story along rapidly,
wasting little time on subplots
or extraneous material, and
culminating with a heart-
breaking final act.

Shot in muted colors with
a spare piano background,
“Asia,” which won nine Ophir
Awards in Israel (including Best
Film, Actress and Supporting
Actress), as well as three awards
at the 2020 Tribeca Film
Festival, deserves its honors. In
JEWISH EXPONENT
an era of bloated storytelling
that features an overreliance
on flashbacks, flash-forwards,
dream sequences, CGI and
other devices, “Asia” focuses
on character development.

Granted, it doesn’t hurt that
Yiv shines as Asia — her world-
weary demeanor comes across
as perfect.

And Haas may be even better,
never taking her character
in a schmaltzy direction. She
captures the spirit of a disen-
franchised teen, while adding
the complexity of dealing with
a debilitating illness; that said,
after such dour roles in “Asia”
and “Unorthodox,” it would be
nice to see her in a lighter part.

Yiv and Haas, who really
look like they could be mother
and daughter, play off each other
well. They never feel like they’re
acting — reason enough to make
“Asia” worth your while.

“Asia” is playing at the
Philadelphia Film Society
Bourse Theater in Center City. l
agotlieb@jewishexponent.com: 215-832-0797
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