Becoming a mother at a very early age has shaped Asia’s relationship with her teenage daughter Vika. Despite living together, Asia and Vika barely interact with one another. Their routine is shaken when Vika’s health deteriorates rapidly. Asia must step in and become the mother Vika so desperately needs.
One of the biggest realizations, when I started reviewing films, was the reality that, despite my own thoughts, action and adventure were not necessarily my favourite genre of film. There came a point in time where Hollywood's need to explode everything and have every single person be the absolute peak of physical fitness at all times...well it grew tiresome. I began to recognize it as what it was; not a thought-provoking story, but a loud distraction. It took the statistical approach of ranking the trends of my reviews according to the genre to realize that a well-made drama would consistently rank much higher than the best action and adventure had to offer.
Asia is a surprising offering, being the feature film debut of director, Ruthy Pribar. This dramatic affair is simple in its premise, and at first, seems almost haphazardly put together from a series of disconnected events, but pulls together exceptional performances from Shira Haas and Alena Yiv to create a lasting impression. The simple premise explores a mother-daughter relationship during a tragic period of time; the rapid decline in the health of the daughter, who suffers from a degenerative motor disease (it's never specifically identified, but symptoms appear similar to that of cerebral palsy).
Asia makes the most of its two protagonists forming personalities that parallel in many ways but ultimately contrast, creating a rich source of conflict. The 17-year-old wants to be a normal teenager, to try smoking, drinking, and sex, versus the mother who wants to protect her child from the world's vices, whilst wanting to partake in the vices herself as her own pregnancy prevented her from appreciating them earlier. Conflict around practicing what you preach, and the merits of worrying about the legalities and health issues around vices when you have an impending death in the not-too-distant future. The young age at which the mother had her child also means at the start the girls are more like fighting sisters than mother and daughter. All elements slowly forge a strong emotional bond.
Pribar's direction, along with Shira Haas' acting performance are what make this film unique. Brilliantly using the "show, don't tell" mentality, the audience experiences a wealth of emotions that are earned. There are no emotions being described in dialogue that are swiftly forgotten. The audience can see the pain, frustration, anger, disbelief, resignation, lust, and disgust, all in Haas' eyes. Her gaze (and the directing that utilizes it) carries the film.
What makes this such a surprising film, is the authenticity of emotion. The film has a minimal cast (two major characters, two minor characters, and a bunch of extras here are there) yet at no time does it feel like the world is not real. Nothing is overly lit, or oversaturated. There is no unnecessary dialogue explaining what is going on. There are no plot points that feel unnecessary or inorganic. The environments and sets feel lived in and loved. The clothing is worn and within budget. Asia nearly comes across as a documentary with superior audio and cinematography.
The realism is what draws you in and keeps you hooked. The story in itself is not overly complicated, and something that we have seen in other films, but the authenticity and gravitas, the emotional weight of Asia will make you feel.
Asia is part of the NZ Jewish International Film Festival from the 22nd of July to the 15th of August