Wednesday, 5 November 2025 - 00:00
Director and sreenwriter: Sophie Artus
Drama, 94 min, Israel (2024)
IN COMPETITION
V.O. Hebrew, S.T. English
Nominated for the Lys d’or of Best Actress
Halisa is a young nurse from a Moroccan Jewish family living in southern Israel. Assigned to a nursery for at-risk infants, she faces a heartbreaking dilemma when a baby she lovingly cares for is at risk of being placed with another family. Torn between her roots, faith, community, and conscience, Halisa struggles to preserve this emotional bond within a rigid bureaucratic system. An emotional drama about motherhood, faith, and belonging.
CASTING
Noa Koler : Sarah
Anatoliy Beliy : Anatoliy
Dana Berkovich : Anya
Khawlah Hag-Debsy : Nour
LEAD ACTRESS
Noa Koler: A renowned Israeli actress, Noa Koler is best known for her leading role in The Wedding Plan (2016), for which she won the Ophir Award for Best Actress. In Halisa, she portrays a woman torn between her religious values and maternal instincts, delivering a performance praised for its sincerity and emotional strength.
AWARDS
- 5 nominations at the Ophir Awards 2024: Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actress (Noa Koler), Best Director, Best Music
- Haifa Film Festival 2024 – Special Jury Mention
PRESS REVIEW
“Halisa is a heartbreaking story of motherhood and belonging”
The Jerusalem Post (September 2024)
“Faith and bureaucracy collide in Sophie Artus’ Halisa”
Haaretz (September 2024)
“Noa Koler delivers one of her most powerful performances yet”
Ynet (September 2024)