Directed by Noam Kaplan, The Future follows Nurit Bloch (Reymonde Amsalem), a profiler who leads The Future Project, a government-led program that is meant to prevent people from becoming terrorists. However, after a young Arab student named Yaffa (Samar Qupty) confesses to the murder of the Minister of Space and Tourism, Nurit is left asking how their algorithm could have allowed her to slip through the cracks. As Nurit interrogates Yaffa, she is left with bigger questions about the way that her world works and where hope lies within it.
Set in the heart of Israel, The Future taps into the tensions that live in modern Jewish culture. This is a world that is looking for answers and staring into the future for hope. As they await the lunar landing, there is a genuine believe that this exploration of the stars could help chart a path forward. Amidst terrorism and turmoil, they yearn for some indication that the world is worth fighting for. As Nurit and Samar spar verbally about why she killed the Minister, we also watch as Nurit wrestles with whether or not she’s willing to bring another woman into the world. With the world on the brink of disaster, she still seems unsure of what it means to live in a world torn apart
In this vein, it’s interesting to watch as Nurit attempts to put the pieces of her life together. Her conversations with Yaffa feel as though they carry the fate of the world in their hands. Yet, at the same time, she’s also trying to figure out her personal life and what it means to start a family in this new world. As such, there’s a spirit of humility within The Future that makes it interesting. This is a film that acknowledges the ravages of war and the ways we self-justify our actions, even as we wonder if it’s worth it all.
The Future is playing at TJFF ’24. For more information, click here.
