Movie Mondays: Intimate Grammar

It’s 1963 and Israel is still in its infancy. Eleven-yearold Aaron hunts for spies and practises Houdini tricks with his friends. A thoughtful, poetic dreamer, Aaron is secretly fascinated by his sophisticated neighbour Miss Blum, and finds himself at odds with his uneducated parents. But as his friends seemingly mature around him, and Israel heads towards war with Egypt and Syria, Aaron finds himself increasingly unable and unwilling to grow out of his childhood.

Director Nir Bergman brings acclaimed Israeli author David Grossman’s coming of age novel to the big screen with sympathy, sensitivity, and detailed observation. Newcomer Roee Elsberg leads a strong cast of Israeli stalwarts with his compelling portrayal of Aaron, and Evelyn Kaplun makes an alluring and enigmatic Miss Blum. Showered with awards on the international festival circuit, Intimate Grammar brings the world of an adolescent boy in an adolescent country into vivid life.