June 9, 2021
4:36 pm
Israeli actresses Alena Yiv, left, and Shira Haas play a mother and daughter in "Asia," an award-winning Israeli film now seeing a U.S. release. (Courtesy of Menemsha Films)
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(JTA) — Shira Haas, the Israeli actress who vaulted into superstardom with her roles in the TV series “Shtisel” and “Unorthodox,” has a track record of playing multifaceted characters. Nonetheless, she faced unprecedented challenges when making the new film “Asia,” which dominated last year’s Ophir Awards (the Israeli equivalent to the Oscars) and is seeing a U.S. release this week.
In the starkly photographed, minimalist film, Haas plays Vika, a tough yet sensitive kid struggling from a degenerative neurological disease. She lives with her single mother, Asia (Alena Yiv), a free spirit, and the two women are forced to come to terms with Vika’s accelerating condition.