A.K.A Nadia Explained

A.K.A Nadia (he|נדיה - שם זמני, Nadia - Shem Zmani) is a 2015 Israeli film, a debut directing work by Tova Ascher, a noted Israeli film editor. It is a story of a Palestinian woman Nadya, who spent most of her adult life pretending to be a Jew (Maya).^[1]

Plot summary

Nadya falls in love with a PLO activist Nimmer and they marry secretly in London. Nimmer disappears, she is left without papers and support, and takes a job in a laundry. She manages to get a fake passport with the help of a laundry "customer #347", but the passport is for an Israeli Jew.^[2]

Fast forward 15 years, Nadya, now Maya, married to a government official, has become a successful choreographer. When her company is to perform a dance in collaboration with Arabs, she meets Nimmer, who is a member of the coordinating committee...^[2]

Awards

The film was nominated for several awards and won two.

• 2015: Israel Critics’ Forum Award for best feature film at the Jerusalem Film Festival. Jury motivation: "...for a profound and articulate discussion of issues of identity and belonging to a place and a family. The director offers an intricate portrait of a reality that is grounded in separation walls, checkpoints and segregation. The film examines whether one can create oneself anew within a tragic political context, by presenting a fascinating, complex and touching human story."^{[3] [4]}
• 2017: Micki Moore Award (to the Best Narrative Feature Film directed by a woman) at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival^[5]

See also

• Twist of Fate

External links

• • טובה אשר - במאית מלידה, an interview with detailed discussion of the creation of the film and film itself

Notes and References

1. https://www.screendaily.com/jerusalem/interview-tova-ascher/5090808.article Interview: Tova Ascher
2. Hannah Brown, "Movie review: Nadia’s dilemma. A Palestinian woman lives life as a Jew in Tova Ascher’s new film", The Jerusalem Post, February 10, 2017
3. Web site: 2015 Festival | Jerusalem Cinematheque – Israel Film Archive. jer-cin.org.il. 2022-01-17.
4. https://www.timesofisrael.com/issues-of-faith-win-over-judges-at-jerusalem-film-festival/ "Issues of faith win over judges at Jerusalem Film Festival"
5. Web site: Filmmaker Awards – Toronto Jewish Film Festival. tjff.com. 2022-01-17.