Concerned Citizen

A liberal do-gooder’s seemingly innocuous act of tokenism triggers tragedy and self-reflection, in this tongue-in-cheek parable of privilege and prejudice. Ben sees himself as an enlightened, upwardly mobile gay man, pursuing dreams of parenthood with boyfriend Raz in a gentrifying south Tel Aviv neighborhood. When Ben plants a sapling to spiff up his street, a misunderstanding leads to the brutal arrest of an Eritrean migrant. Failing to act in the moment, Ben’s ensuing guilt leads him on a path of self-reckoning, challenging both his uneasy relationship and aspirations of fatherhood. This Jerusalem Film Festival best screenplay winner tackles Israel’s complex social fabric, systemic inequities, and victimization in ways fresh and uncompromising.