Foreign Letters

Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival.  An openhearted coming-of-age story about friendship and sisterhood, FOREIGN LETTERS shares the childhood experiences of 12-year-old immigrant girls who forge an inseparable bond in early 1980s America.

Ellie copes with homesickness by clinging to letters she exchanges with her best friend back in Israel. Life brightens when she meets classmate Thuy, a Vietnamese refugee her age. Though from culturally divergent backgrounds, the girls find solace in the commonality of war-torn childhoods and adjusting together to a new life in America. Yet nothing prepares them for the treachery of junior high where loyalty is fleeting and prejudice pervades. Based on the life experiences of writer-director Ela Their, this family-friendly indie film showcases understated performances by teen actresses Noa Rotstein and Delena Le, and a mélange of international music, including songs by iconic Israeli folk artist Chava Alberstein.

Introduction by B’nai Tzedek Teens, and a presentation about immigration issues in Western Mass by Mohamud Mohamed of Jewish Family Services New American Program

Co-Sponsor: Anna P. Housen Israel Desk of the Jewish Federation of Western MA, B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program, Consulate General of Israel to New England

Director Ela Their.  100 mins, English and Hebrew with subtitles.