Leave of Absence

Meir is a middle-aged history teacher in the Israeli suburbs whose days blur together in a routine of classrooms and family dinners. After his daughters accidentally bleach his hair, and with another tense evening at home looming, he slips away, and a chance run-in with a group of his former students pulls him into a night of unfiltered, rebellious energy that he did not know he needed. Written and directed by Moshe Rosenthal and starring Uri Klauzner, this Israeli short is a bittersweet comedy about midlife restlessness and the unexpected places where freedom hides. It won Best Director at the Jerusalem Film Festival and Best Short Film at the Zlin Film Festival, and screened at festivals including Nashville, TLVFest, and the Belgrade Short Film Festival.