After many years as a live-in housekeeper in Israel, Mila is forced to leave the elegant seaside home she’s cared for—and the serene life she’s built there—to return to her family in a remote Polish village. The long-awaited reunion isn’t what she imagined: Faces have changed; distance has grown. And Mila, portrayed with breathtaking restraint by Evgenia Dodina, must confront what’s been lost—and who she’s become. Inspired by the real lives of migrant women, Or Sinai’s first narrative feature brings nuanced attention to the unseen. Mila is complex, full of longing, strength, humor, and contradiction. Shot with intimacy and grace, Mamaexplores belonging, memory, and the quiet ache of dislocation. It’s a story that is both grounded and gently political, with moments that speak volumes without a word. It’s a quiet but powerful film that lingers with you long after it’s ended. Sinai is a strong new voice in Israeli cinema. —João Federici
Or Sinai
A graduate of the Sam Spiegel Film School, Or Sinai is also a Berlinale Talents alumnus. Her debut feature,Mama, received funding from the Rabinovich Foundation in Israel and the Ukrainian State Film Agency, as well as the Production Award from the Torino Script Lab, and CNC Award. She wrote and directed the short film Anna(2016), which won the Cannes Film Festival’s Cinéfondation Award, the 2016 Israeli Film Academy Award for Best Short Film, and an Honorable Mention at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Sinai has written and directed narrative shorts, and a mid-length documentary, Violeta Mi Vida(2013), which won prizes in Israel and Russia.
OR SINAI: Writer/Director