Scaffolding

In a blue-collar town north of Tel Aviv, a remedial student named Asher (Asher Lax, who appears to be in his early 20s but is playing a 17-year-old in this award-winning Israeli drama) has several problems. He is semi-literate. His father, Milo (Yaacov Cohen), is about to undergo serious surgery and wants Asher to take care of the family scaffolding business. Asher is facing matriculation exams, a huge hurdle for his learning problems and impulsiveness. In his literature class, he frequently breaks into fights and ends up in the principal’s office. But there is a saving grace: despite his disorderly behavior and his father’s dismissive attitude towards education, Asher is developing a raw passion for literature and writing. The reason is his unexpected affinity for his instructor, Rami (Ami Smolartchik), whose soulful, personal approach to stories sharply contrasts with the mechanical, indifferent style of other teachers. As the film’s title suggests, the gradual building of a structure attaining higher and higher heights is a strong metaphor for the elevation of a learning mind. Former-teacher-turned-filmmaker Matan Yair (star Lax was once his student) delivers a compelling portrait of a boy-man for whom an awakening of the mind is a beautiful thing. As the story develops momentum through a wary yet deeply felt relationship between Asher and Rami, one might expect Scaffolding to turn sentimental, but a third-act twist puts a different kind of challenge in front of Asher, forcing him to take a stand. Recommended. (T. Keogh)