Shira Haas-Starring Film ASIA To Premiere in US June 11th

Film Forum is pleased to present the US theatrical premiere of Ruthy Pribar's ASIA, beginning Friday, June 11. Shira Haas made an indelible impression (she was nominated for an Emmy, Golden Globe and won an Independent Spirit Award) as the lead in the recent TV series "Unorthodox." Here she stars as a Russian émigré to Israel, navigating (with her single mother) her teenage years, burdened by a largely undefined illness that makes all of her decisions infinitely more poignant. First-time writer-director Ruthy Pribar does an exquisite job of defining the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship that eschews clichés and sentimentality. Instead, both actresses (Alena Yiv plays the mother) give riveting, yet understated performances that explore the inevitable chasm that divides the generations and creates barriers between the healthy and the sick-while limning a universal and timeless story of maternal love and loss.

ASIA swept the 2020 Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars) winning 9 honors (8 going to women), including Best Picture, Actress, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Editing, and Score. The film also won multiple awards at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival: Best Actress for Shira Haas; Best Cinematography for Daniella Nowitz; and The Nora Ephron Award for Ruthy Pribar.

ASIA (2020, 85 minutes) Written & Directed by Ruthy Pribar. Produced by Yoav Roeh & Aurit Zamir. Director of Photography: Daniella Nowitz. Editor: Neta Dvorkis. Casting: Esther Kling. Composer: Karni Postel. Starring Alena Yiv (Asia), Shira Haas (Vika), Tamir Mulla (Gabi), Gera Sandler (Stas); Eden Halili (Natalie), Or Barak (Roy) & Nadia Tichonova (Valentina). Israel. In Hebrew & Russian with English subtitles. A Menemsha Films release.

Presented with support from the Joan S. Constantiner Fund for Jewish and Holocaust Films.

Watch the trailer here: