THE BOY ACROSS THE STREET

David, a boy of twelve, was born under an unlucky star. His mother deserted him, and his father, a new immigrant from Morocco, cannot adapt himself to the new surroundings.

David gets into trouble at school and has violent clashes with his father. Then, in a moment of weakness, the boy agrees to help two juvenile delinquents in a burglary . . .

In this, his first feature film, the director has succeeded in projecting a sincere analysis of the conflicting motives affecting the child in his difficult home environment. The quasi-documentary nature of the film is aided by the background — a dilapidated newcomers' suburb in a small Israeli town. The acting of the leads is excellent, particularly that of Arie Elias as the father, and the director's own children as the two juveniles.

Silver Lion, Venice Festival of Youth; Lamp of Alladin, University of Padua; Special Award, Milan MIFED; Gold Plaque, Teheran Youth Festival.