Tropicana
Date:
January 12, 2023
Tropicana
Looking for festival release, sales agents and distributors
Logline
A lonely middle-aged woman divides time between her monotonous job at the supermarket and taking care of her disabled mother
and estranged family members. The mysterious and violent murder of the head cashier at the supermarket, sends her on a journey
into the depths of her repressed desire revealing her deep longing
for warmth and human connection.
Synopsis
LY BALAISH (63) is an invisible woman. She lives a monotonous, working-class life in a remote town in the heart of the Israeli
desert. Splitting her time between endless drudgery as a supermarket cashier and unrelenting housework, she’s going nowherefast. Her conservative husband is mostly absent; her adult son is a total burden; she’s the sole caretaker of her stubborn, elderly mother who suffers from advanced muscular dystrophy.
When her colleague, SIGAL, is tragically murdered, Orly inherits
the deceased’s old job as chief cashier along with a cardboard box
containing everything she might need to assume her new position.
With the unexpected promotion, Orly’s life is suddenly anything but
humdrum.
One day as Orly is finishing her shift as chief cashier, the cardboard box comes alive with the sound of SIGAL’S RINGING CELL
PHONE. Orly’s curiosity moves her to answer. But when she is connected to a series of HORNY MEN who are intent on engaging her in sex talk, Orly discovers a side of Sigal she never knew, and so
begins the adventure of her life.
Orly decides to assume the identity of her dead best friend and
dive into a maelstrom of naughty encounters with nocturnal creatures in far-flung corners. As her life as a wife and mother begins to unravel, she is determined to live fully and even joyously in her body – as long as her body works.
Director’s Profile
Writer/Director Omer Tobi was born in 1989 in the southern city of
Be’er-Sheva, Israel to parents of Moroccan and Tunisian origin.
His last film, Set me as a seal upon thine heart, held its international premiere at Sundance Film Festival, screened at Locarno Film
Festival and participated in more than 40 film festivals around the
world.
His previous short film, Hounds, won a number of awards, among
them: Best Comedy at Aspen Shorts Fest, Special Jury Mention
at the AFI Fest, Best Independent Short at Haifa International Film
Festival, and screened at more than 30 film festivals around the
world.
In addition to his cinematic film work, Tobi also created a primetime drama series, “Eyes don’t Lie (Topaz)”, for Keshet Israel in which he is both the screenwriter and director and has developed another TV series for Keshet International, “A Gentle Man”, which is an LGBTQ+ themed crime series.
Omer founded a party line called Arisa, which was the first party intended for the LGBTQ+ community that combined Mediterranean
and Middle Eastern Arabic style music. Arisa is a platform that discusses the relationship between Mediterranean culture and gender. Through Arisa, Omer created a unique aesthetic and musical language, which incurred millions of views over the internet and wide discussions in academic circles. He is invited to lecture about his creation all over the world ; a retrospective of the video clips and short films he created for Arisa was presented in film festivals and exhibitions all over the globe. Tobi’s work as part of Arisa was lauded by Haaretz newspaper as “one of the most positive and optimistic changes to have occurred in Israeli culture in general”.
Director’s previous work:
Pass: teamo
Pass: HOUNDS
Company Profile
Medalia Productions is a creative production company based in Tel
Aviv, dedicated to producing documentaries, features, and television shows with strong storytelling and a cultural, social and political point of view. We are well versed in international co-productions
and our projects have gathered critical acclaim, and received four
Emmy nominations, a Peabody Award, and countless awards and
nominations in major film festivals around the world, among them
Sundance, Venice, Cannes and Tribeca and have aired worldwide
on networks including HBO, Netflix, Paramount, MTV, BBC, Arte,
and many more.
Sima Films is an independent production company founded in
2015 and based in Tel Aviv and currently also in California, specializing in documentary and Narrative films. Sima Films’ different films and programs have been screened in major film and TV festivals worldwide, such as Sundance, Locarno, AFI, BFI, and more, and have been broadcasted in various television channels and streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video (US), Fandor (US), Yes Docu (IL), Channel 8 (IL), Canal+ (EU), and more. Since 2017, Gil Sima has been holding the position of Executive Director of TLVFest, The Tel-Aviv International LGBTQ Film Festival.
Filmoption International is a premier Canadian distribution powerhouse and a global sales agent, was established four and a half
decades ago by the visionary Maryse Rouillard. With a steadfast
commitment spanning the Canadian landscape and beyond, we
proudly showcase exceptional cinematic endeavours worldwide.
We curate a diverse portfolio of feature films and documentaries,
masterfully orchestrating their journey to captivate audiences on
the grand theatrical canvas across Canada. Our collaborative
ethos thrives as we forge meaningful partnerships with esteemed
Quebec, Canadian, and international producers, uniting our creative forces to craft and fund compelling films, documentaries, and
TV series. Beyond distribution, our engagement extends to production, co-production, and delivering comprehensive production and postproduction services. Our recent projects include THE LONGEST GOODBYE (Sundance 2023) and WHO I AM NOT
(SXSW 2023).