Just before Dudu’s wedding to his American fiancée, Jenny, his mother gives him an ultimatum: a large wedding in America or a traditional Henna celebration aboard the family boat - “the Lido”, on the Sea of Galilee. When he chooses the second option, a series of comic mishaps forces him to confront his past and realize that he cannot truly escape his identity, or the people who love him most.
American Henna
Directed by: Shalom Asayag
(Israel 2026, 90 mins, Hebrew and English with English subtitles)
Cast: Israel Atias, Shalom Asayag, Sharona Elimelech, Adi Himelbloy, Rami Kashi, Shosha Goren, Haim Oz Znati, Sharon Haziz, Melanie Lemberski, Justin Torkildsen, Emanuelle Ellison.
Synopsis:
An edgy and irreverent Israeli comedy directed by Shalom Assayag. Dudu, who left Israel for Los Angeles and distanced himself from his roots, is about to marry Jenny, his American Jewish fiancée. Embarrassed by the thought of inviting his loud and colourful family to the wedding in America, he reluctantly agrees to a deal: the traditional henna celebration will take place in Tiberias, aboard the family’s Lido boat.
But when Dudu is reunited with his family, his old friends from the Golani Brigade, and even his ex-girlfriend, everything he thought he had left behind comes rushing back, forcing him to question the choices he has made and the person he has become.
American Henna is a wild romantic comedy about identity, family, belonging, and Zionism in a post–October 7 world.
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