Dallas Videofest 2009 - The Tale of Nicolai and the Law of Return

54 min.

The story of Nicolai begins in a tiny, remote village in the Romanian region of Moldavia. With the collapse of communism, Nicolai--like many thousands of other villagers--suddenly found himself out of work, so he decided to seek his fortune overseas, far from his family and home. For three years he worked as a guest laborer in Israel, exploited to the hilt by the company that sent him there. He had little contact with his wife, who gave birth to his second child in his absence. Finally determined to gain control of his destiny, Nicolai fled his employer and became an 'illegal.' He was caught by the police and sent to prison, but suddenly his life took an abrupt turn.Nicolai plays himself in this film, and relives the dramatic events of his life. As his story unfolds, the film raises questions about our own lives in Israel and the laws that define our national identity.

Information from the festival's website