Natalie Portman is returning to the limelight--and not just as an actor. Portman directs and stars in the upcoming drama A Tale of Love and Darkness, a story about a displaced family, a crumbling marriage and a mother and son who yearn to escape the dreariness of everyday life. Okay, so it's not exactly a feel-good flick, but Portman has always excelled with dark, weighty material.
Based on the Amos Oz book of the same name, the Hebrew-language movie follows a family who flees Europe for Palestine during the height of Hitler’s reign. Young Amos is the center of the story, and we watch through his eyes as his restless mother, Fania (Portman), becomes depressed in their new home. Soon, Amos and Fania embark on imaginary journeys, though they may not be enough to rescue Fania from herself.
Portman fought for nearly a decade to earn up the funding necessary to produce this film, all the while insisting that it be told in Hebrew, not English. If the below trailer is any indication, this Tale is exactly the kind of beautiful, captivating storytelling that one would expect from a Portman passion project.
A Tale of Love and Darkness opens in limited release on August 19, 2016.
