OFW stars as caregiver in award-winning Israeli film

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) stars in an Israeli film that portrays the lives of three women in Tel Aviv. Maria Nenita “Monette" de la Torre plays the role of “Joy," a Filipina caregiver in the film Meduzot (Jellyfish), according to Charge de’affaires Gilbert Azuque of the Philippine embassy in Israel. The Israeli foreign ministry hosted a private screening of the film for members of the diplomatic corps at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs auditorium in Jerusalem on June 25, Azuque reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said the film showed a different side of Israel other than what the world sees. The film recounts the lives of three women in Tel Aviv, one of whom is “Joy", a Filipina caregiver in Tel Aviv. It also had its premier screening at the Dizengof Center Cinema on June 20. “Meduzot" won the Camera d’Or (Golden Camera Award) at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival in France. The Camera d’Or is the highest award given to a debut film by a director. Asuque said that “Meduzot", also known by its international title “Jellyfish," is based on a script written by Geffen, who also co-directed it with Etgar Keret. It was the first film by both directors. The Cannes Golden Camera award is given to the best film by debut directors. The film also won two more awards during the International Critics Week in Cannes. The French Artist and Writers Guild SACD gave Keret and Geffen their best director award while 36 French teenagers decided that the Israeli film was the winner of the “Young Critics" award. - GMANews.TV