# Come Closer (film)

Come Closer (Hebrew: קרוב אלי) is a 2024 Israeli-Italian drama film written and directed by Tom Nesher in her directorial debut. Starring Lia Elalouf and Darya Rosenn accompanied by Ido Tako, Yaakov Zada-Daniel and Netta Garti. It is about a troubled young woman who becomes obsessed with her deceased brother's girlfriend after his sudden death. After winning the Ophir Award for Best Picture, it was officially selected as the Israeli entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, but was not nominated.

## Making of the Film

Nesher wrote the screenplay for the film, initially titled "Finally", which was based on her personal story. She was the youngest creator to receive government funding for film production. In September 2018, Tom's brother Ari was killed in a car accident shortly after his 17th birthday. Since their father, film director Avi Nesher, is a well-known public figure, the tragedy received particular media attention, and the public showed support for the family.

## Synopsis

The sudden death of Eden's beloved younger brother leads her to try to fill the void that has opened up in her life. Soon, she discovers that her brother had a secret girlfriend and with her she embarks on an emotional, complex and dangerous journey.

## Cast

* Lia Elalouf as Eden
* Darya Rosenn as Maya
* Ido Tako as Nati
* Yaakov Zada-Daniel as Shlomo
* Netta Garti as Mother
* Shlomi Shaban
* Ofek Pesach
* Yael Shoshana Cohen
* Lia Schon
* Shay Litman
* Shifra Cornfeld
* Karin Tepper
* Yotam Jonathan Rabino
* Inbar Livne
* Romi Halkin
* Hani Sirkis

## Release

It had its world premiere on June 6, 2024, at the 23rd Tribeca Festival, then screened on July 22, 2024, at the 41st Jerusalem Film Festival. It was released commercially on September 19, 2024, in Israeli theaters.

## Reception

The film was nominated in 12 categories at the 2024 Ophir Awards, and won in the categories of Best Film, Best Leading Actress, Best Director, and Best Editing.
In July 2024, the film won the Best First Film Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
The film won an award at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in the Viewpoints category, which is dedicated to films that present "bold and exceptional voices" in independent cinema.
In November 2024, Variety named director Tom Nesher as one of their "10 Directors to Watch for 2025."

## Accolades

| Year | Award / Festival | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2024 | 23rd Tribeca Festival | Viewpoints Award | Come Closer | Won |
| 2024 | 41st Jerusalem Film Festival | Haggiag Award - Best Israeli Feature Film | Come Closer | Nominated |
| 2024 | 41st Jerusalem Film Festival | Best Israeli First Feature | Come Closer | Won |
| 2024 | 41st Jerusalem Film Festival | Best Actress | Lia Elalouf | Won |
| 2024 | 41st Jerusalem Film Festival | Best Original Score | Ginevra Nervi | Won |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Picture | Come Closer | Won |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Director | Tom Nesher | Won |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Actress | Lia Elalouf | Won |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Darya Rosenn | Nominated |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Screenplay | Tom Nesher | Nominated |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Cinematography | Shai Peleg | Nominated |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Editing | Shauly Melamed | Won |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Art Direction | Almog Sela, Itamar Thorn & Vera Greenblatt | Nominated |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Costume Design | Gabrielle Orion Hasson & Tamar Eyal | Nominated |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Makeup | Keren Assaf | Nominated |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Casting | Chamutal Zerem & Esther Kling | Nominated |
| 2024 | 35th Ophir Awards | Best Sound | Ronen Nagel & Ori Tchechik | Nominated |