Synonyms
Directed by Nadav Lapid
Synonyms
Quentin Dolmaire
Louise Chevillotte
Winner of the Golden Bear at Berlinale, the latest from Nadav Lapid (The Kindergarten Teacher) features a dynamic lead performance from newcomer Tom Mercier, whose feral intensity practically bursts out of the frame. Mercier plays Yoav, a disaffected young Israeli who flees Tel Aviv for Paris to start a new life. Desperate to erase his origins, Yoav sees becoming French as his only hope for salvation. Step one is to replace his language. From now on, he will not utter a single word of Hebrew and his dictionary becomes his constant companion. His work at the Israeli embassy is a burden, but studying for his naturalization test also has its pitfalls. And the young French couple he befriends has some rather strange ideas about how to help him. Based on writer-director Nadav Lapid's own experiences, Synonyms explores the challenges of putting down roots in a new place. Yoav's attempts to find himself awaken past demons and open up an existential abyss in this tragicomic puzzle that wisely knows how to keep its secrets.
Reviews
“Critic’s Pick! Furious, brilliant. A movie that turns rage into pain and identity into a howl.”
“Wildly unpredictable. A searing, maddening, explosively brainy movie about the mutability and immutability of the self that, appropriately enough, never stops changing shape.”
"Astonishing. Fascinating, infuriating, frightening, lyrical and befuddling. Plus deadpan funny and frequently stunning as a bittersweet ode to contemporary France, one that’s suffused with New Wave verve."
“A gorgeous picture, with an outstanding turn by a newbie actor named Tom Mercier. Synonyms isn’t just one of the best Israeli or ‘Jewish-themed’ movies of the year, it is one of the year’s highlights, full stop.”
“Intense, feverish, unhinged, deranged, digressive, implacable, impressive. A unique and bristling take on the Paris experience.”
"Deliriously unpredictable... audacious. Breathtaking in the way it careens from one scene to the next in a whirlwind of personal and political meaning. [An] uncategorizable cinematic trip."
“A portrait of an ex-pat that conjures the freedom of beginning a new life from the ground up and benefits from having a lead that leans into his role 110%.”
“[Lapid’s] filmmaking is so powerfully charged, so utterly confident, so in command of its resources and outcomes... Mercier projects a feral intensity, a boundless energy that’s frightening in its freedom.”
"Mercier gives an exquisitely intense performance, while Lapid's camera careens, never allowing the audience to get comfortable. It's a poetic saga about nationality rooted in a deep frustration with Lapid's home country.”
"Bracingly poignant, touching, moving, as well as profound, penetrating, perceptive and astute. Newcomer Tom Mercier is a revelation, awkward and confident in equal measure, bursting the frame with his exuberant mayhem. Synonyms redefines the personal journey of discovery.”
“As an exercise in depicting the disjointed link between national and personal identity, Synonyms is dazzling. As a portrait of displacement in a world becoming both more globalized and more nationalistic, it is a testament.”
Awards
Golden Bear (Top Prize) – Berlinale / Berlin International Film Festival
Official Selection – New York Film Festival
Official Selection – Toronto International Film Festival
Click here to learn more at Kino Lorber Edu. Interested in bringing Synonyms to your school or library? If you'd like to have an in-class viewing, on-campus screening, or purchase the DVD for your library's collection, please visit our site or contact Estelle Grosso at EDU@kinolorber.com or call (212) 629-6880 with your request.
To read more about Kino Lorber Edu's terms of use and ordering information, visit Kino Lorber Edu.
Venue | City | State | Date |
---|---|---|---|
Binghamton University / Harpur Film Society | Binghampton | NY | 1584072000March 13 - March 15, 2020 |
Austin Film Society | Austin | TX | 1583726400March 9 - March 11, 2020 |
AFI Silver Theatre | Silver Spring | MD | 1582952400February 29 - March 5, 2020 |
Harris Theater | Pittsburgh | PA | 1581656400February 14 - February 20, 2020 |
Cornell Cinema | Ithaca | NY | 1580878800February 5, 2020 |
Vermont International Film Festival | Burlington | VT | 1580360400January 30, 2020 |
Alamo Drafthouse Omaha | Omaha | NE | 1580101200January 27, 2020 |
Cleveland Cinematheque | Cleveland | OH | 1579928400January 25 - January 26, 2020 |
Moxie Cinema | Springfield | MO | 1579842000January 24 - January 30, 2020 |
Avalon Theatre | Washington | DC | 1579669200January 22, 2020 |
Lakewood Ranch Cinemas | Lakewood Ranch | FL | 1579323600January 18 - January 19, 2020 |
Mountain Cinema | Hunter | NY | 1579237200January 17 - January 26, 2020 |
Cinema Le Clap | Quebec City | QC | 1579237200January 17 - January 23, 2020 |
The Loft Cinema | Tucson | AZ | 1578632400January 10 - January 16, 2020 |
Cinema Moderne | Montreal | QC | 1578632400January 10 - January 16, 2020 |
Cinema Beaubien | Montreal | QC | 1578632400January 10 - January 16, 2020 |
Cinéma du Musée | Montreal | QC | 1578632400January 10 - January 16, 2020 |
Cinema du Parc | Montreal | QC | 1578632400January 10 - January 16, 2020 |
Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers | Yonkers | NY | 1578459600January 8, 2020 |
Detroit Institute of Arts | Detroit | MI | 1578027600January 3 - January 5, 2020 |
The Broadway Theatre | Saskatoon | SK | 1578027600January 3 - January 9, 2020 |
Cinematique of Daytona | Daytona Beach | FL | 1577422800December 27, 2019 - January 9, 2020 |
Cinema Paradiso - Hollywood | Hollywood | FL | 1577422800December 27, 2019 - January 2, 2020 |
Chelsea Theater | Chapel Hill | NC | 1576818000December 20 - December 26, 2019 |
Aperture Cinema | Winston Salem | NC | 1576818000December 20 - December 26, 2019 |
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Houston | TX | 1576818000December 20 - December 22, 2019 |
Tropic Cinema | Key West | FL | 1576731600December 19, 2019 |
Burns Court Cinemas | Sarasota | FL | 1576213200December 13 - December 19, 2019 |
Honolulu Museum of Art | Honolulu | HI | 1576213200December 13 - December 21, 2019 |
Bytowne Cinema | Ottawa | ON | 1576213200December 13 - December 19, 2019 |
Broadway Metro | Eugene | OR | 1576213200December 13 - December 19, 2019 |
Wexner Center for the Arts | Columbus | OH | 1576126800December 12 - December 13, 2019 |
Nevada Theatre | Nevada City | CA | 1575781200December 8, 2019 |
Portland Museum of Art | Portland | ME | 1575781200December 8 - December 11, 2019 |
Gene Siskel Film Center | Chicago | IL | 1575608400December 6 - December 12, 2019 |
Ryder Film Series | Bloomington | IN | 1575608400December 6, 2019 - January 12, 2020 |
Celebration! Woodland | Grand Rapids | MI | 1575608400December 6 - December 19, 2019 |
Carbon Arc Cinema | Halifax | NS | 1575608400December 6, 2019 |
Guild Cinema | Albuquerque | NM | 1575349200December 3 - December 8, 2019 |
Cafritz Hall | Washington | DC | 1575003600November 29 - December 12, 2019 |
Living Room Theaters, Boca Raton | Boca Raton | FL | 1575003600November 29 - December 19, 2019 |
Lake Worth Playhouse | Lake Worth | FL | 1575003600November 29 - December 5, 2019 |
Oklahoma City Museum of Art | Oklahoma City | OK | 1575003600November 29 - November 30, 2019 |
Fox Theatre | Toronto | ON | 1574917200November 28, 2019 |
Landmark Edina Cinema | Edina | MN | 1574830800November 27 - November 28, 2019 |
Roxy Hotel Cinema | New York | NY | 1574830800November 27 - December 1, 2019 |
Landmark Ken Cinema | San Diego | CA | 1574398800November 22 - November 28, 2019 |
Landmark Mayan Theatre | Denver | CO | 1574398800November 22 - November 28, 2019 |
Landmark E Street Cinema | Washington | DC | 1574398800November 22 - November 28, 2019 |
Coral Gables Art Cinema | Coral Gables | FL | 1574398800November 22 - November 28, 2019 |
Landmark Midtown Art Cinema | Atlanta | GA | 1574398800November 22 - November 28, 2019 |
Cinema Savannah | Savannah | GA | 1574398800November 22, 2019 |
Zeitgeist Arts Center | New Orleans | LA | 1574398800November 22 - November 28, 2019 |
Landmark Uptown Theatre | Minneapolis | MN | 1574398800November 22 - November 26, 2019 |
Time & Space Limited | Hudson | NY | 1574312400November 21 - December 1, 2019 |
Crosstown Arts | Memphis | TN | 1574312400November 21, 2019 |
Belcourt Theatre | Nashville | TN | 1574226000November 20 - November 26, 2019 |
Harkins Theatres Shea 14 | Scottsdale | AZ | 1573794000November 15 - November 21, 2019 |
Film Streams | Omaha | NE | 1573794000November 15 - November 21, 2019 |
Syndicated | Brooklyn | NY | 1573794000November 15 - November 17, 2019 |
Landmark Ritz at the Bourse | Philadelphia | PA | 1573794000November 15 - November 21, 2019 |
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art | Madison | WI | 1573621200November 13, 2019 |
Landmark Shattuck Cinemas | Berkeley | CA | 1573189200November 8 - November 14, 2019 |
Landmark Opera Plaza Cinema | San Francisco | CA | 1573189200November 8 - November 21, 2019 |
Smith Rafael Film Center | San Rafael | CA | 1573189200November 8 - November 14, 2019 |
Landmark Kendall Square Cinema | Boston | MA | 1573189200November 8 - November 21, 2019 |
Liberty Theatre | Camas | WA | 1573189200November 8 - November 14, 2019 |
Ragtag Cinema | Columbia | MO | 1573016400November 6 - November 7, 2019 |
Landmark Nuart Theatre | Los Angeles | CA | 1572580800November 1 - November 7, 2019 |
TIFF Bell Lightbox | Toronto | ON | 1572580800November 1 - November 7, 2019 |
Cinema 21 | Portland | OR | 1572580800November 1 - November 7, 2019 |
SIFF Cinema Uptown | Seattle | WA | 1572580800November 1 - November 7, 2019 |
Virginia Film Festival | Charlottesville | VA | 1572062400October 26, 2019 |
Film at Lincoln Center | New York | NY | 1571976000October 25 - November 21, 2019 |
Quad Cinema | New York | NY | 1571976000October 25, 2019 - January 9, 2020 |
Milwaukee Film Festival | Milwaukee | WI | 1571803200October 23 - October 30, 2019 |
Festival du Nouveau Cinema | Montreal | QC | 1571025600October 14 - October 19, 2019 |
Vancouver Int'l Film Festival | Vancouver | BC | 1570507200October 8 - October 11, 2019 |
Mill Valley Film Festival | Mill Valley | CA | 1570248000October 5 - October 6, 2019 |
New York Film Festival | New York | NY | 1569729600September 29 - October 1, 2019 |
Calgary International Film Festival | Calgary | AB | 1569297600September 24, 2019 |
Toronto International Film Festival | Toronto | ON | 1567656000September 5 - September 15, 2019 |
RT' @KLStudioClassic': Coming July 20th from Code Red & Kino Lorber! J.C. (1972) • 4K Restoration from the Original Camera Negative • Theatr…
RT' @CerealMidnight': It's our largest' @KinoLorber' collection update ever! Join Heath as he shares almost FOUR DOZEN new titles from all genr…
Check out' @CerealMidnight's' epic video about our library and recent sale!' https://t.co/uyRqn7hsMc'
RT' @KLStudioClassic': Coming July 6th from Scorpion Releasing & Kino Lorber! Slow Dancing in the Big City (1978) • Brand New HD Master from…
Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts is an illuminating doc about one of America's greatest self-taught artists. Born into…' https://t.co/4B9bIvxPRL'
"A spry and inventive account of extraordinary transcendence. Traylor was both an artist and a historian, and Chasi…' https://t.co/awLCFVyHO9'
RT' @Slant_Magazine': BILL TRAYLOR: CHASING GHOSTS (@KinoLorber), a beautiful film with a sense of swing and soul, somehow feels simultaneous…
RT' @KLStudioClassic': Coming July 27th from Scorpion Releasing & Kino Lorber! The People Next Door (1970) • 4K Restoration from the Origina…
RT' @FamilyVideo': Over 200 movies on sale, up to 50% off, in our' @KinoLorber' sale running now through 4/25!' https://t.co/8TUSgyP2Dq' https://…
RT' @RandallLotowycz': These' @KinoLorber' always read like poetry or the activation code words for the Winter Soldier.' https://t.co/chZ6NZtQ61'
General Inquiries
333 W. 39th St., Ste. 503
New York, NY 10018
Tel. (800) 562-3330
Fax. (212) 714-0871
Press & Media
For publicity assistance and press inquiries please contact us by emailing dninh@kinolorber.com or calling 212-629-6880.
Educational
Please visit our educational site at www.KinoLorberEDU.com
For assistance with educational orders, please contact us at:
Phone:212-629-6880
Fax: 212-714-0871
Email: edu@kinolorber.com