Portman returns to her Jewish roots
Oscar winner makes her directorial debut with A Tale of Love and Darkness about the early days of Israel
JERUSALEM — In her feature film directorial debut, Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman brings to life the autobiographical novel of celebrated Israeli writer Amos Oz about his youth during the Jewish state’s founding years.
But in many ways, the Israeliborn Portman says A Tale of Love and Darkness also mirrors the story of her own family. Her paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants to pre-state Israel and other relatives perished in the Holocaust.
Besides directing, the 34-yearold Portman also wrote the screenplay based on Oz’s 2002 autobiography and stars in the Hebrew- language feature as Oz’s troubled mother, Fania, a cultured woman whose dreams can’t withstand the everyday reality of Israel’s early days.
The grand opening at Jerusalem’s Cinema City movie complex on Sept. 3, with the Israeli cast and former president Shimon Peres in attendance, marked a homecoming of sorts for Portman, who was born in Jerusalem and speaks fluent, albeit accented, Hebrew.
As a child, her family moved to the United States, where she made a memorable feature film debut in 1994’s hit-man tale Leon: The Professional. Portman grew up on screen, becoming a worldwide celebrity as the spouse of future evil Jedi master Darth Vader in George Lucas’s second Star Wars trilogy.
In 2010, she won the Academy Award for best actress for her starring role as an obsessed, paranoid ballerina in Black Swan.
Now married and a mother, Portman has returned to her roots.
She’s been a proud ambassador for Israel, while also speaking out against the hawkish policies of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.