THE BIG SATURDAY NIGHT CELEBRATION OF JEWISH FILM Tatami

Followed by a dessert reception

Directors Guy Nattiv & Zar Amir Ebrahami ● 105 min ● Israel, Iran, Georgia ● 2025 ● English, Farsi with English subtitles ● Narrative Feature ● Not rated. Contains scenes with brief nudity and themes that may be distressing to some viewers

In this searing political sports thriller, a female Iranian judo champion and her coach face a harrowing ultimatum in a championship match against an Israeli opponent. Set during the Judo World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, rising star Leila is on the brink of victory when the Iranian regime intervenes, ordering her to forfeit to avoid a potentially humiliating loss. Her coach, Maryam, joins her in an agonizing decision: withdraw under false pretenses to protect family in Iran or risk everything and defy the regime.

The first film ever co-directed by an Israeli and an Iranian filmmaker, Tatami pairs stark black-and-white visuals with kinetic camerawork to amplify the adrenaline of competition and expose authoritarian rule.

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The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film is presented by the Alma & Howard Laderberg Restricted Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation and funded in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach through a grant from the City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission.