The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch

Motti Wolkenbruch, a Geneva-based, Jewish college student, strays from the expectations of his mother and his Orthodox upbringing when he falls for a non-Jewish classmate, a “shiksa.” Adapting his own best-selling novel, screenwriter Thomas Meyer breaks the fourth wall with Yiddish lessons and commentary from his likeable protagonist. Encompassing a liberating trip to sexually free Tel Aviv, Motti’s journey to self-determination is full of heartache and humor. (Chicago International Film Festival)