Synonyms

One of the best-reviewed films of 2019, and winner of the Golden Bear for Best Feature at the Berlin Film Festival, Synonyms is a ferociously funny movie about the existential angst of an expat. It features a dynamic lead performance from newcomer Tom Mercier, whose feral intensity practically bursts out of the frame. Mercier plays Yoav, a disaffected young Israeli who flees Tel Aviv for Paris to start a new life. Desperate to erase his origins, Yoav sees France as his only hope for salvation. He vows not to utter a single word of Hebrew, his French dictionary becoming his constant companion. He is swiftly befriended by a strange young French couple who enmesh him in a very Parisian love triangle. Based on writer-director Nadav Lapid's (The Kindergarten Teacher) own experiences, Synonyms explores the challenges of putting down roots in a new place.