"The Burgher I'm Missing" — Directed by Nitzan Tal

Nitzan Tal's second feature film as director is a beautiful portrait engaging with art, family, mental crises, and the points where these themes intersect and connect. The film was recently screened at the Haifa Festival, where it won the Best Debut Film award. It was also screened at the Saint Louis International Festival and at the Jewish Film Festival in Miami.

Film Synopsis

The film follows the story of Rafael Lomes, a young father who, following a failed suicide attempt and hospitalization in a psychiatric hospital, decides to sculpt "the burgher he's missing" and take it on an ambitious journey around the world, hoping to gain recognition and heal his turbulent soul. With no clear plan or money, he leaves his family and travels with the enormous burgher, 3.5 meters long, to Dachau concentration camp, to Van Gogh's grave, to the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and to the Ganges River in India. Along the way he encounters difficulties, but also finds lifelong friends and is welcomed with affection by patrons and collectors. His young son, left behind at home, faces hardships, and Rafael is forced to examine his life and choose between his art and his role as a father.

Following the screening, a Q&A session will be held with Rafael Lomes, the subject of the film.