Writer/director Savi Gagizon’s heart-wrenching dramedy finds successful, single Ariel (Shai Avivi) re-examining his life when an ex-girlfriend reveals that she secretly gave birth to a son, Adam, 20 years before. Abandoning his cushy existence in Tel Aviv, Ariel treks to the town where the boy grew up and begins a somewhat obsessive quest to piece together an understanding of the son he never knew he had. Ariel tracks down and confronts Adam’s old friends and flames, including a beautiful teacher with whom the boy was infatuated. Ariel’s belated attempts to take on fatherly responsibility often frustrate those around him, leading to some darkly comedic scenarios.

Yet Avivi endows Longing’s protagonist with a dogged single-mindedness that’s intensely moving, even as Ariel’s behavior confounds those around him. As the newfound father slowly comes to terms with the 20 years he’ll never regain with his son, Ariel discovers the bittersweet meaning of parenthood, with all its sorrows and joys.

Winner: Audience Favorite, Jerusalem; Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Israeli Film Academy