COME CLOSER, A Raw Meditation on Grief and Connection

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https://www.jiff.com.au/films/come-closer

Date Reviewed: 24/10/2025

Tom Nesher’s Come Closer is an intimate, deeply felt drama inspired by the director’s own loss, the 2018 death of her brother Ari. Winner of the 2024 Ophir Award for Best Director, Nesher channels personal tragedy into a film that lingers long after the credits.

At its heart is Lia Elalouf, in a remarkable debut as Eden, a young woman paralysed by grief after her brother Nati’s death. When she meets Maya (Darya Rosenn), Nati’s secret girlfriend, their shared mourning evolves into a complex, boundary-blurring relationship that forces Eden to confront her pain.

Elalouf’s performance, quiet, raw, and unflinchingly honest, earned her the Ophir for Best Actress. Nesher’s direction mirrors Eden’s inner turbulence with restrained cinematography and an emotional intimacy that feels almost autobiographical.

Come Closer isn’t just about loss, it’s about the fragile ways love survives it. Israel’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars, this is a film that invites empathy rather than sentimentality, one that asks its audience to sit with grief, not look away from it.

Screening at the Jewish International Film Festival (19 Oct to 21 Dec 2025) in major Australian cities. Subtitled. 107 mins.

Reviewed by Vincent