NOT TODAY. NOT NOW.
Director: Eshkar Dahan
Cast:Shlomi Elkabetz, Yael Abecassiss, Adar Roimi
Crew:Writer: Eshkar Dahan. Producer: Omri Cohen.
Email:omri.cohen89@gmail.com
Synopsis
Jerome, a failed farmer, finds his eldest son’s dead body in the family’s shed. He struggles to tell his wife Aliza and his young son Tomer about the tragedy but the blame and tension leads him to a violent burst.
About the director
Eshkar Dahan (1988), born in Yaffit settlement of the south-east Israeli and Palestinian territory, to a family of French - Morrocan immigrants. During his BFA film studies at the Tel Aviv University - Cinema and Film Department, he worked as a floor manager and assistant director at the Educational Channel of the Israeli Broadcasting Network and as an offline editor in Vocative INC.
During his studies Eshkar produced several short student’s films, until his first film as a director “Not Today. Not Now.” (2021) starring Shlomi Elkabetz and Yael Abecassiss. The film Was produced as a final project for the Tel Aviv University and was granted support by the NFCT Fund, Balvetnik Fund and TAU Fund.
Currently residing in Tel Aviv, Eshkar works as a scriptwriter and director.
Filmmaker's note
“Not Today. Not Now.” is a story that depicts the atmosphere at my childhood’s home after my older brother’s death. The lead character is based on my father. He was the one to find my brother’s dead body and decided to prevent the grief from my family. My father’s inability to cope with the tragedy, led me to write a script that presents the consequences of life long hiding of emotions and events.
The constant sense of tension caused a distressful atmosphere, which brings out the contradiction between the pastoral surroundings of the quiet south-eastern Israeli desert, and the noise that was under the ground of our home.
Through their French-Moroccan heritage that represents the house I grew up in, the leading actor and actress, were familiar with the mentality, language and other emotional elements of struggles that french-moroccan immigrant families share.
This might be a personal story that has shaped my personality, but in its basis it is a universal, complex, family drama that takes part in the thin line between dealing with the truth and hiding from it.