âAsiaâ Review: Tough Love and an Indecent Proposal
This drama about a young single mother and a terminally ill daughter avoids sentimentalism but indulges heavily in dourness.
Shira Haas, left, and Alena Yiv in âAsia.âCredit.Menemsha Films
By Devika Girish
Asia
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In the opening moments of âAsia,â a young-looking woman dances and downs shots in a crowded, neon-lit bar. You might be surprised when, in the next scene, sheâs revealed as the maternal half of Ruthy Pribarâs mother-daughter drama. A 35-year-old Russian nurse in Jerusalem, Asia (Alena Yiv) was in her teens when she had Vika (Shira Haas). Now that Vika is a teenager, and eager to experiment with boys and drugs, Asia struggles to discipline her while seeking escapes of her own in hookups and drinks after long work shifts. Adding urgency to Vikaâs adolescent rebellion
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.
Shira Haas and Ruthy Pribar wanted to make sure I wasn’t filming our interview.
That’s because they were curled up on a couch in Pribar’s Tel Aviv apartment, sharing the same blanket. They may be two of the Israeli film industry’s most exciting up-and-comers, and they certainly spent much of the last year racking up awards at virtual film festivals while the rest of us baked sourdough, but they looked like old friends recovering from a long sleepover.
The chatty, informal vibe belied the big career moment that Haas, 26, and Pribar, 39, are very rightly enjoying. We spoke via Zoom as they prepared for the American debut of “Asia,” a film directed by Pribar and starring Haas, at the Tribeca Film Festival. Known for her roles in the Netflix blockbusters “Shtisel” and “Unorthodox,” Haas is now cementing her status as a household name. Meanwhile, Pribar is enjoying a remarkably successful directorial debut after working as a film producer and editor for over a decade
Summer Movies 2021: Hereâs Whatâs Coming to the Big (and Small) Screen
From an urban musical to a demonic possession to a hectic first date, hereâs everything you need to know about this season in film.
A scene from “In the Heights,” Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes.Credit.Warner Bros.
May 28, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ET
Here is a list of noteworthy films scheduled this summer. Release dates and platform are subject to change and reflect the latest information as of deadline.
June 1
CHANGING THE GAME (on Hulu) This documentary profiles three transgender athletes and their high school sports careers, with a particular focus on Mack Beggs, a transgender man who as a teenager wanted to compete in boysâ wrestling but, because of a rule in Texas, could only wrestle against girls.