Naf: A Street Kid

Moshe Alafi's documentary about a rebellious Israeli teen, thrown out of his ultra-orthodox home onto the Jerusalem streets at the age of 14, is a gritty, incisive portrait shot over a two-and-a-half-year period. Although initially Naf (short for Naftali) appears surly and rude, he becomes increasingly sympathetic as the film details the often dangerous circumstances faced by homeless kids. One of the narrative threads here focuses on Naf's effort to prosecute a man he accuses of molesting him (an effort frustrated by repeated judicial postponements), while another deals with his attempt to convince city authorities to recognize him as a spokesman for street kids so that he can lobby for improved government services. On a less intense note, Naf is seen performing his songs, which he is also trying to record and release. The film takes a somewhat positive turn when Naf is sentenced to serve time in juvenile detention, since the lockup will give him a chance at kicking his drug habit; in addition, he reestablishes contact with his mother and sees his abuser convicted. Naf neither romanticizes its subject nor is unduly pessimistic; rather, it's an honest depiction of the desperation that can take hold of a street kid like Naf—one that ultimately holds out hope. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)