Jewish History in Film: Unfulfilled dreams of the promised land in 'A Tale of Love and Darkness'

There have been several films surrounding the historical moment when Israel was established, most taking a nationalist stance, such as “Exodus” starring Paul Newman. As joyful of a moment as this was for many, even for the characters in the film we are about to look at, there was an underlying melancholy that crept its way into their subconscious. As bombs started to fall and wars were triggered, many realized that this was not the romantic dream that so many Jews had.

For Israeli born actress Natalie Portman’s directorial debut, she decided to retrace her steps into her family’s homeland thro...