'Nina's Tragedies': Death, love, infatuation, gently interwoven

A death from a terrorist bomb is central to events in Savi Gabizon's appealing, understated Israeli film Nina's Tragedies.

Although its title is downbeat, that should not scare you away from this assured little movie that sees the comedy as well as the drama in life's absurdities.

Wellspring Media 'Nina's Tragedies' B The verdict: A teen's crush on his widowed aunt plays out gently. Director: Savi Gavison Starring: Ayelet Zorer, Yoram Hattab, Alon Abutbul, Aviv Elkabeth Run time: 110 minutes Release date: March 25, 2005 Rating: Not rated; non-graphic nudity, language. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate "Nina's Tragedies"   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

Narrating is a precocious, bespectacled 14-year-old Tel Aviv lad named Nadav (refreshingly natural Aviv Elkabets), who has a crush on his aunt Nina (alluring Ayelet July Zurer).

When her husband is killed by that bomb — the movie's only overtly political element — Nadav is shipped off by his fashion designer mother to live with Nina and offer her whatever comfort he can, which only magnifies his sexual fantasies about his aunt.

But Nina has become smitten with a sensitive photographer who came to notify her of her husband's death, but stayed to offer her more than condolences.

Gabizon uses moments of hallucination to illustrate Nina's efforts to accept her husband's death and start over, gently weaving in a philosophical view on the unpredictibility of life.

Nina's Tragedies, which swept the Israeli version of the Oscars, shows us specifics of modern Tel Aviv and details of Jewish funeral rituals, but the film is more interested in expressing a universal statement of the human condition.

Inside AJC.COM

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