Cleveland International Film Festival – The End of Love
Julie and Yuval live in Paris, are in love and just had a baby. When Yuval needs to return to Israel to renew his visa, they start sharing their family routine via video call. Watching each other obsessively through a screen, however, begins to take its toll on their relationship. Will their love survive the perils of this new form of “interaction”?
Interview with Director Keren Ben Rafael
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made the film because I realised the broader sense of the personal story I was telling. It's about a long-distance relationship between a couple with a baby, living in two different countries. But it says a lot about all modern couples.
I was also very attracted by the unique form of the film, told only by video calls. The challenge was to make the video calls become cinematic.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Because the actors are amazing! They took up the challenge of this unique form of storytelling to a degree where you can forget you are on video calls. You just feel you are a part of their lives.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The base of the story comes from my own experience in a long-distance relationship. An experience I pushed to an extreme. The personal side of it makes the film very specific. But the storyline of the couple is universal. Moreover, the use - and the misuse - of video calls is very common nowadays and especially in these days of corona confinement, it has become a real part of relationships.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script and the film were developed, shot and edited in a very rapid workshop through the Biennale College Cinema program (as part of Biennale of Venice). This intense period of ten months was great for developing and making the film since we were concentrated only on this project, and we knew we had a due date coming up very soon. We had to be on top of things all the time, there was no time for hesitation. For this project, it was very great.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The first screening was in The Monstra of Venice (Venice Film Festival). It was great and the feedback was amazing. We also had some good coverage in the press. Next, the film won the best picture at the Cinemamed Festival in Brussels and was shown in several other festivals. The feedback we got was great.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I was amazed to hear a girl telling me how this film made her feel closer to her mother's past life story, or to hear people debating, in the good sense of the term, about the ending of the film: is it optimistic or pessimistic?
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I think the film can touch the American public and I'd love to have it shown more around the world.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We have a sales agent in Europe, and distribution in France and Belgium (now postponed because of COVID-19...). We'd love to find a distributor and film festivals in the States and worldwide.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think the film can raise the debate around long-distance couples and about couples of our generation in general, dealing with becoming parents and at the same time still searching their own self.
The (mis)use of social media, video calls, phones etc. in relationships as conveyed in the film raises a real question about our generation and sparks many debates.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm working on a series about the rise and fall of a fertilisation specialist, and I'm developing another feature film.
Interview: May 2020
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
The End of Love
Julie and Yuval live in Paris, are in love and just had a baby. When Yuval needs to return to Israel to renew his visa, they start sharing their family routine via video call. Watching each other obsessively through a screen, however, begins to take its toll on their relationship. Will their love survive the perils of this new form of “interaction”?
Length: 1:30:00
Director: Keren Ben Rafael
Producer: Delphine Benroubi
Writer: Elise Benroubi & Keren Ben Rafael
About the writer, director and producer:
KEREN BEN RAFAEL is an Israeli director and screenwriter that graduated from La Femis Film School in Paris. Her first feature film Virgins has notably won best actress at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018, the Fipresci Critic's Prize at Jerusalem Film Festival as well as directing and acting prize at the Montenegro Film Festival.
ELISE BENROUBI is a French TV and film screenwriter who graduated from La Femis Film School. She is notably known for writing the feature film Virgins, the animated series Culottées and the short film Mum.
DELPHINE BENROUBI, is a French producer and head of Palikao Films, known for At the Beach; A Capital Case and Mum.
Key cast: Judith Chemla, Arieh Worthalter, Neomie Lvovsky, Joy Rieger...
Looking for: film festival directors, buyers, journalists
Facebook: Keren Ben Rafael
Other: IMDb
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Cleveland International Film Festival, opening film of Toronto Jewish Film Festival , opening film of Israeli Film Festival of Montrèal