My Michael

Jerusalem, 1950. The Terra Sancta building is home to the Hebrew University, a backdrop that frames the evolving lives of two young people who cross paths in quiet, ordinary moments that soon press into something more complicated. Hana [Efrat Lavie] is a gentle, introspective literature student who supports herself by working as a kindergarten assistant, carrying a memory of days before the war and a nostalgia for a neighborhood and its children she once knew.

She stumbles on the stairs one day, and Oded Kotler stars in the role of Michael Gonen, a geology student whose calm, reserved manner and focused intellect pull her toward him. The encounter marks the beginning of a friendship that gradually shifts into something more intimate, as Hana’s curiosity about life deepens under his influence. Hana’s demeanor—quiet, observant, and surrounded by small, personal rituals—begins to reveal itself as the story unfolds, while Michael’s discipline and scientific drive become more central to his identity.

Hana’s inner world is rich with remembered moments from the past, including a vivid memory of playing with twin Arab children in the Katamon neighborhood before the war. Those recollections hover at the edge of her present, hinting at a longing for connection and a sense of belonging that her current life rarely delivers. The couple’s relationship grows, and Hana becomes pregnant, ultimately agreeing to marry Michael despite uncertainties that linger beneath the surface.

Michael’s aunt Genia steps in from time to time, urging Hana to reconsider the arrangement, but her arguments fail to alter the course of events. The newlyweds move into a modest apartment in a working-class district, where the rhythms of daily life intensify. Michael throws himself into his research, his mind often drifting toward rocks and formations, while Hana finds herself increasingly bored and unsettled, wandering through an interior landscape that feels crowded with questions and unspoken longings.

As time passes, Hana notices the troubling behavior of her neighbor Duba, whose fits of madness cast a shadow over the building and mirror Hana’s own fears about her mental state. The tension between the urge for a stable family life and the pull toward something more elusive grows stronger, and the strain starts to weigh on Hana in quiet, persistent ways.

The couple welcomes a son, Yair, but his arrival does little to lift Hana’s mood. The domestic scene remains emotionally arrears-filled; Hana’s sexual relationship with Michael feels unfulfilling, and she finds herself fantasizing about the twin Arab children from her past, a reminder of a different kind of intimacy and a different world she once knew. She remains indifferent to Michael’s attraction to his student, Yardena, a tension that underscores the emotional distance that has grown between them.

In a surprising turn of daily life, Hana begins tutoring their neighbor’s son Yoram, hoping to fill the long hours with literature and conversation. Yoram is a bright, adolescent presence, and while there is an undercurrent of erotic tension in the air, nothing materializes. When Yoram and his family move away, Hana watches him leave with a lingering sense of longing that she cannot quite shake, a melancholy thread that threads through the remainder of her days.

Eventually, Hana’s sense of monotony tightens its grip on her days. She confronts Michael, voicing a dissatisfaction that has slowly built up over time. He remains largely indifferent, choosing to tune out the emotional dissonance rather than engage with it, leaving Hana to reconcile her own inner world with a life that feels increasingly hollow. The story rests in the balance of these quiet, unresolved tensions, a portrait of desire, memory, and the unanswered questions that can define a life.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:29