Shtaim (2023)

Two follows a couple as they set out on the long road to conception and realize their dream of having a baby. Omer and Bar are deliriously in love and can't wait to start a family. On their first visit to the sperm bank, they are filled with hope and excitement for their future together. When one visit turns into five, however, emotions start to run high and things become tense. When Omer's ex, Yoni, enters the picture as a potential sperm donor, more questions arise as the pair determine the lengths they will go to attain motherhood. An assured directorial debut by Astar Elkayam, Two explores one couple's complex journey with style and nuance, asking along the way if love really conquers all. In her remarkable debut, director Astar Elkayam tackles the physical and emotional challenges two women face when they decide to start a family. Initially optimistic, Bar and Omer embrace the process, eagerly combing through a catalog of potential donors and facing the insemination process with hummer. After Omer repeatedly fails to become pregnant, a sense of failure gnaws at them, threatening to undermine their relationship. Mor Polanuer and Agam Schuster (Your Honour) deliver outstanding performances, realistically capturing the toll that the process takes on the young couple.