Atlanta Jewish Film Festival: Halisa

A beautiful, emotionally complex Israeli drama unfolds as a nurse longing for her own child becomes entwined in a young mother’s crisis, leading to a risky decision with life-altering ramifications. In her 40s, single, and facing infertility, Sarah works at a health center in Halisa, a multiethnic, impoverished Haifa neighborhood. When she treats Anya, a young mother in dire circumstances, an unexpected bond forms. Anya, desperate, leaves her baby with Sarah and disappears, forcing both women to confront painful realities and a chance to give each other what they need most. With earnest performances by Noa Koler and Dana Berkovich, this sympathetic portrayal of motherhood and sacrifice was nominated for five Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress