Philadelphia Film Center
1412 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102

Saturday, April 6, 2024, 8:45 pm

Admission: General $20, Students and seniors $18  

In Israel’s official entry for the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film, Ayelet Menahemi’s Seven Blessings revolves around an eventful Jewish Moroccan family wedding and the traditional blessings that are pronounced during the ceremony, again at the reception, and then again for the next seven nights with loved ones hosting special dinners in the couple’s honor. Behind the facade of joie de vivre and togetherness, there are secrets, lies, and a painful old wound that forces them to confront the past while wrecking the present, all entwined in this acclaimed story about fury, forgiveness, and food. Added to the mix is a joyous comedy of errors and misinterpretation by numerous members of the family speaking multiple languages, spanning Hebrew, Arabic, French, and the French Moroccan dialect.

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Country: Israel
Release Date: 2023
Time: 108 minutes
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Language: Hebrew, Arabic, French with English subtitles
Director: Ayelet Menahemi
Guest Speaker: Elinor Sela, Actor and Screenwriter Eleanor Sela is a screenwriter, actress and producer. She created and wrote the feature film 'Seven Blessings,' which won 10 Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Film and Best Screenplay. It was chosen by the Israeli film critics society as the best Israeli film of 2023 and has also been selected as Israel’s entry to the 2024 Oscars. Eleanor acted in one of the leading roles in the film. She created the successful stand-up show 'A Thousand Faces, One Truth' – an artistic stand-up startup with customized writing. Each show is a one-off, and Eleanor has performed it in Israel and abroad for over a decade in front of the largest commercial bodies in Israel. Additionally, Eleanor has written, directed, and produced video content for numerous companies. Her book 'From a Life of Permission to a Life of Inspiration' was published in 2021 and became a bestseller.
 
Awards
Best Picture, Best Director for Ayelet Menahemi, Best Actress for Reymond Amsalem, Best Supporting Actress for Tikva Dayan, Best Screenplay for Reymond Amsalem & Eleanor Sela, Best Cinematography for Boaz Yehonatan Yaacov Nominated Best Editing for Ayelet Menahemi, Best Art Direction for Amir Yaron Nominated Best Costume Design for Inbal Shuki, Best Makeup for Orly Ronen, Best Casting for Orit Fouks Rotem, and Best Soundtrack for Aviv Aldema & Michael Legum.