Footnote

Eliezer Shkolnik is a stubborn philologist whose traditional methods clash with the newer approaches his son uses. He remains unpopular and unrecognized, frustrated that his lifelong research seems to yield little acknowledgment. He witnesses Uriel's charisma and growing popularity among students and the public, highlighting the rift between father and son.

Uriel becomes a charismatic figure at the university, beloved by students and the general public. His work earns him election to the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, signaling institutional validation. The success of his career sharpens the contrast with his father's obscurity and bitterness.

Eliezer receives a phone call from the Minister of Education's office announcing that he has been elected this year's Israel Prize laureate. The moment marks the pinnacle of official recognition for the old-school scholar. The sense of triumph is tinged with the anxiety of how this will affect his relationship with his son.

The following day, Uriel is summoned to an urgent Israel Prize committee meeting and learns, to his shock, that the prize was meant for his father, not him. He confronts the committee, arguing that an error must be corrected. In a heated moment, he shoves committee head Grossman, revealing the depth of his frustration and stakes in the outcome.

Uriel relents and asks to break the news to his father personally, but he also reveals that he has submitted his father's name for the Israel Prize year after year. He accuses Grossman of manipulating the recognition in Eliezer's favor. The revelation exposes a long-running family-driven attempt to secure the prize.

Grossman agrees to salvage the situation but imposes two conditions: Uriel must write the committee's recommendation, and he can never be a candidate for the prize himself. The terms leave Uriel both shocked and resigned to relinquishing his own potential prize in order to help his father.

Uriel begins drafting the official recommendation, choosing words carefully to shape the outcome. At the same time, Eliezer is interviewed by Haaretz, where he challenges the legitimacy of Uriel's research and the new methods in a public forum. The publication cements public debate over merit and recognition.

The Haaretz interview goes to print, provoking anger in Uriel while he maintains silence about the underlying truth. Eliezer's public recognition grows, yet the private truth about the prize's origin remains concealed within the family. The quiet secret begins to weigh on the household.

Uriel slips a whispered confession to his mother, asking her to keep the truth hidden. She agrees to carry the secret, avoiding disclosure to others for the time being. The family maintains a fragile balance as the public narrative continues outward.

During preparations for a television appearance, Eliezer notices an unfamiliar Talmudic expression in the prize committee's recommendation and cross-checks its published uses. He concludes the text must have been written by Uriel. He also reconstructs his phone conversation with the Minister of Education, realizing she addressed him by his last name, thinking she was speaking to his son.

Eliezer and his wife arrive at the Jerusalem International Convention Center, each weighed down by tension and distraction. Eliezer is visibly stressed as he readies himself for a ceremony that could redefine his career and his relationship with Uriel. The atmosphere is thick with anticipation and unresolved conflict.

As the laureates are about to be called, the movie stops, leaving the outcome unresolved. The audience is left with the question of who will be lauded and how the truth behind the prize will finally come to light. The tension between father and son remains an open question, fueling reflection on merit, recognition, and family.