THE INTERPRETER | Presented by the Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival
Elderly translator Ali (Jirí Menzel, Closely Watched Trains) shows up at the home of the man he believes is responsible for his parents’ execution decades earlier. Instead of being greeted by a Nazi, Ali is acquainted with his 70-year-old imprudent son, Georg (Peter Simonischek, Toni Erdmann). Though the men don’t hit it off at first, the former teacher who has yet to comprehend the enormity of his father’s crimes soon approaches Ali with a proposition. He offers to pay Ali to accompany him on a journey through Slovakia and serve as his translator and guide through his father’s dark past.
Because Ali is a reserved, reluctant ascetic and Georg a distractible, flirtatious spendthrift, the mismatched travelers cannot avoid their fair share of hiccups along the way, especially when their misadventures result in Georg drinking himself into oblivion on Ali’s dime. While Georg is driven to gain Ali’s approval and complete their journey as friends, Ali is determined to deny any feelings of connection with Georg. After all, they may have inherited a shared legacy, but did that necessitate a shared fate?
Filmed against the beautiful backdrop of the Slovakian mountains and evergreen forests, THE INTERPRETER is a tragicomic road trip of remembrance and a brilliant path of entry to the Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival’s 38th annual season!
