| The Milky Way | |
| Director: | Maya Kenig |
| Producer: | Maya Fischer Gal Greenspan Roi Kurland Leon Edery Alona Refua Roni Shamiss |
| Starring: | Hila Ruach Hadas Yaron |
| Cinematography: | Amit Yasur |
| Editing: | Maya Kenig |
| Music: | Assa Raviv Tom Meira Armony Hila Ruach |
| Studio: | Green Productions Les Films du Poisson |
| Distributor: | Greenwich Entertainment (North America) |
| Runtime: | 98 minutes |
| Country: | Israel France |
| Language: | Hebrew |
The Milky Way (he|חלב|translit=Halav) is a 2023 Israeli-French dystopian black comedy film written, edited and directed by Maya Kenig.[1] Starring Hila Ruach and Hadas Yaron.[2] It is about a young musician and single mother who joins a company that extracts breast milk from poor women to sell to rich mothers.[3]
Tala is a 33-year-old woman who has become a single mother and is unsuccessful as an unconventional musician. Desperate for an income, she goes to work for 'The Milky Way', a breast milk dairy that provides rich mothers with the best quality breast milk from poor mothers. Her work and her meeting with one of the clients will take her on a journey about the complexity of motherhood.[4]
It had its world premiere on November 14, 2023, at the 27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival,[5] then screened on June 10, 2024, at the Israel Film Center Festival,[6] on July 20, 2024, at the 41st Jerusalem Film Festival,[7] and on July 26, 2024, at the 44th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.[8] In early August 2024, the North American distribution rights to the film were acquired by Greenwich Entertainment.[9]
| Year | Award / Festival | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | Critics' Picks Competition - Best Film | The Milky Way | [10] | |
| Special Jury Mention | [11] | ||||
| 2024 | 41st Jerusalem Film Festival | Haggiag Award - Best Israeli Feature Film | [12] | ||
| Best Screenplay | Maya Kenig | ||||
| 35th Ophir Awards | Best Picture | The Milky Way | [13] [14] | ||
| Best Director | Maya Kenig | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress | Hadas Yaron | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Maya Kenig | ||||
| Best Cinematography | Amit Yassour | ||||
| Best Music | Asa Raviv, Tom Meira Armoni & Hila Ruach | ||||
| Best Editing | Maya Kenig | ||||
| Best Art Direction | Hefi Boehm | ||||
| Best Costume Design | Raquel Ben Dahan | ||||
| Best Sound | Aviv Aldema | ||||