The Retreat

Rachel, a 30-something Hebrew school teacher, is aching to be a screenwriter. And it doesn’t help that she’s in hot water with her bosses for criticising Israel’s actions on the West Bank in front of her pupils. David and Jeff are two independent film producers in need of a good script. While Jeff is pragmatic about the schlock they put out, David yearns for artistic substance. He thinks he may have found it in Rachel’s ambitious but unwieldy script about a false messiah – but he soon finds himself enthralled by more than Rachel’s writing. Inspired but reeling, Rachel is intoxicated by the possibilities of a new career and a new life, but fears that she may be compromising her integrity. Meanwhile, Jeff aims to bring everyone down to earth with the cynical realities of the film industry. As David and Rachel’s professional and personal lives entwine, they undertake a life-changing journey into the meaning of power, and the meaning of blind loyalty. A fast-paced acerbic take on art, craft, money and passion, The Retreat contains strong language, sexual references and sensitive subject matter.

European premiere.