Israel Oscar Submission ‘Let It Be Morning’ Picked Up by Cohen Media for U.S.

Let It Be Morning, Israel’s official submission for the 2022 best international film Oscar, has been acquired by the Cohen Media Group for the U.S. and Canada.

The film, from writer-director Eran Kolirin, is due for release in North America in theaters and on digital platforms in 2022.

First bowing in the Un Certain Regard sidebar of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Let It Be Morning follows Sami (Alex Bakri), a Palestinian-born Israeli citizen who thought he’d found his place in life. But then, without any conceivable reason, the Arab village where he grew up is suddenly surrounded by an ominous wall. Now he is forced to deal with questions of identity and national belonging.

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The bittersweet film is about a state of siege — both internal and external — for a man who built a wall around his heart, and follows how that wall starts coming apart when another more real wall goes up around his home.

The film also stars Juna Suleiman (The Time That Remains), Salim Dau (The Crown) and Ehab Salami (Wajib), and is based on the novel by the same name written by Palestinian author Sayed Kashua. It was produced by Nadav Palti, Ra’anan Gershoni, Keren Michael, Tami Mozes Borovitz and Yoni Paran. Let It Be Morning is a Dori Media production in collaboration with Les Films du Poisson.

“Let It Be Morning is a true labor of love and a very unique collaboration,” said Kolirin. “I’m humbled and thrilled to be working with Cohen Media on its U.S. release.”

The deal, announced by Cohen Media Group chairman and CEO Charles S. Cohen, was negotiated by CMG Senior Vice President Robert Aaronson and Thania Dimitrakopoulou, head of sales at The Match Factory, which co-repped the film for North America with ICM.

“Let It Be Morning is a must-see film about the state of our world today, and we are thrilled to bring it to the wide audience it deserves,” said Cohen.

The film will have its New York premiere on Nov. 4 during the opening night of the 15th Annual Other Israel Film Festival.