Longing 2017

Drama

Rank

#20,945

Box Office

$38K

Runtime

103 mins

Language

Hebrew

Directed by

Savi Gabizon

Made by

Where to Watch Longing

See current US streaming, rental, and purchase options for Longing (2017) via JustWatch.

Chai Flicks

Fawesome

Kanopy

Tubi TV

Amazon Video

Apple TV Store

Streaming availability powered by

Test your knowledge of Longing with our quiz!

Longing Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Longing (2017). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Ariel [Shai Avivi] meets with his ex-partner Ronit Hilou [Assi Levy] at a restaurant about twenty years after they broke up. She reveals a long-buried truth: when they separated, she was pregnant with his child, and their son, Adam (Adam Gabay), died in a car accident two weeks earlier. Ariel, a successful industrialist living in Tel Aviv, travels to Acre, the town where Ronit and Adam once lived, and he spends several days there, slowly stepping into the rhythms of Adam’s world. He is drawn into a search that grows deeper and more intimate with every conversation, and he begins to uncover the layers of a life that he never truly knew.

In his first meetings, he encounters Miki [Ori Laizerouvich], a friend of Adam’s, who reveals a rougher side of their late friend: the two had once bought a kilogram of hashish to start a small, precarious business, and the substance disappeared in the car accident that claimed Adam’s life. Miki also points Ariel toward Adam’s school, and this leads him into a new circle of people who shaped Adam’s days. The principal, Amnon, explains that Adam was expelled after scribbling an obscene poem about the French teacher on a wall near the building, a detail that adds a troubling shade to the boy’s story. In the schoolyard, a teenage girl named Lilia approaches and shares that Adam had been living with her due to conflicts with his stepfather, yet there is a deeper truth: Adam’s true love was the French teacher, Yael.

At the end of the school day, Ariel waits by the gate and finally sees Yael leaving. Their conversation unfolds with careful, aching honesty. Yael reveals that Adam was, indeed, in love with her, but she refused to pursue anything romantic because of the teacher-student dynamic. The moment is charged with unspoken possibilities and regrets, and it reframes the way Ariel sees his son’s short life.

Ariel’s journey continues as he visits Adam’s grave. There, at the cemetery, he befriends Gideon [Yoram Toledano], the father of Abigail, a young woman who battled depression and took her own life at 18. The encounter with Gideon introduces a surprising and unsettling idea: inspired by a Chinese custom, Gideon suggests a way to honor both Adam and Abigail by arranging a union between them. The proposal resonates with Ariel, who sees in it a chance to give meaning to a life that felt incomplete and to bridge the gaps that grief has carved between families. As the days pass, Ariel confronts questions of legacy, memory, and the possibility of reconciliation across generations, choosing to pursue a path that honors the complexities of Adam’s life and the people who shaped it.

Through quiet discoveries and patient conversations, the narrative threads together a portrait of a boy whose relationships—love, friendship, and the pain of family conflict—echo in the decisions his father makes after his death. The film crafts a patient, observational tone as Ariel moves between present and memory, charting how a single loss can ripple outward, guiding a father toward unconventional solutions in an effort to keep Adam’s memory alive. The result is a slow-burn meditation on parenthood, memory, and the ethical borrowings of grief, delivered with restrained power and a sense of unresolved longing that lingers beyond the final scene.

Longing Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Longing (2017) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Ariel and Ronit's reunion

Ariel meets his ex-partner Ronit at a restaurant, twenty years after they broke up. Ronit reveals that when they separated, she was pregnant with his child and that their son Adam died in a car accident two weeks earlier. The shocking news unsettles Ariel and initiates his journey to learn more about Adam's life.

Tel Aviv restaurant

Adam's death disclosed

Ronit tells Ariel that Adam died two weeks before the reunion. The revelation reframes Ariel's understanding of his past and his family. He decides to travel to Acre to gather details from people who knew Adam.

Restaurant, Tel Aviv

Ariel travels to Acre

Following the reunion, Ariel travels to Acre to meet the people who knew Adam. The trip becomes a pursuit to piece together Adam's life and the relationships he built. He hopes these memories will help him understand his son better.

Acre

Meeting Miki

In Acre, Ariel meets Miki, a friend of Adam. Miki explains that Adam and he had once bought a kilogram of hashish to earn a living, and that the hashish was lost in the car accident that killed Adam. The exchange broadens the scope of Adam's life beyond the family circle.

Acre, Miki's location

Adam's school revealed

Miki tells Ariel where Adam's school was, guiding him to the place where Adam spent part of his life. The school becomes a focal point for learning about Adam's adolescence and the events surrounding it. This step brings Ariel closer to the daily world Adam inhabited.

Adam's school

Principal Amnon speaks

At the school, Ariel meets Principal Amnon, who explains that Adam was expelled after writing an obscene poem about the French teacher on the wall outside the building. The incident hints at Adam's rebellious streak and the tensions of school life. It's a key piece in understanding the complexities of Adam's youth.

End of the school day Adam's school

Lilia sheds light on Adam's life

In the schoolyard, Lilia, Adam's 15-year-old girlfriend, tells Ariel that Adam had been living with her because of a conflict with his stepfather. This detail adds depth to Adam's personal life and the family dynamics around him. It also shows that Adam sought shelter with friends during upheaval.

Adam's schoolyard

Yael and Adam's love

Ariel learns that Adam's true love was Yael, the French teacher. Yael explains that Adam was in love with her, but she refrained from pursuing a relationship because he was her student. This confession adds a poignant dimension to Adam's relationships and the limits of teacher-student boundaries.

End of the school day School setting near Yael

Ariel meets Yael

At the end of the school day, Ariel waits by the school gate and spots Yael leaving. He approaches her, and they begin to talk, initiating a direct conversation about Adam and his life. The exchange provides Ariel with Yael's perspective on Adam's feelings and experiences.

Evening School gate

Visiting Adam's grave

Ariel visits Adam's grave, seeking a tangible connection to the son he never fully knew. The cemetery becomes a quiet setting for memory, reflection, and perhaps reconciliation with the past. The visit marks a turning point in his journey toward understanding Adam.

Adam's graveyard

Gideon meets Ariel

At the cemetery, Ariel befriends Gideon, the father of Abigail, a person who suffered from depression and died by suicide at eighteen. This encounter broadens Ariel's circle of people affected by Adam's world. It introduces new perspectives on loss, memory, and the bonds that persist beyond tragedy.

Cemetery

Gideon's proposal

Gideon proposes an idea inspired by a Chinese custom: to marry Adam and Abigail. The proposal presents a provocative way to honor Adam's memory by creating a domestic linkage. Ariel considers the plan as a meaningful, if unconventional, extension of Adam's legacy.

Cemetery

Ariel sees potential in the idea

Ariel finds Gideon's proposal appealing and starts to envisioned a future where Adam's memory lives on through a new union. He contemplates how such an arrangement might heal wounds and connect the generations. The idea reframes his understanding of family and memory.

Cemetery

Ariel begins to act on the plan

Committed to the idea, Ariel begins to take steps to arrange the marriage between Adam and Abigail. He works to connect the people who knew Adam with those who care for Abigail, turning memory into a living project. The journey becomes a mission to keep Adam's story alive.

Acre / planning

A quest to understand Adam

Throughout the journey, Ariel aims to understand Adam by learning about the life he led and the people who knew him. Each encounter fills in pieces of who Adam was and what his life meant to those around him. The timeline closes with Ariel carrying Adam's story forward in his actions and decisions.

Longing Characters

Explore all characters from Longing (2017). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Yael (Neta Riskin)

Yael is the French teacher Adam loved, a central figure in his hidden life. She refrained from pursuing a relationship with Adam due to the teacher-student dynamic, making her both pivotal and elusive. Through Yael, the film explores memory's human face and the ache of what could have been.

💔 Forbidden love 🧭 Ambiguous memory 🏫 Teacher-student dynamic

Ronit Hilou (Assi Levy)

Ronit is Ariel’s ex-partner who reveals that she was pregnant when they separated and that their son Adam died recently. Her revelations propel Ariel’s journey to Acre and force a confrontation with the past. She acts as a bridge to Adam’s life, shaping the memories Ariel seeks to understand.

💬 Estranged partner 🗝️ Secrets revealed 🕊️ Grief

Ariel Bloch (Shai Avivi)

Ariel is a successful industrialist from Tel Aviv who travels to Acre to uncover his son Adam’s life. The film follows his emotional pursuit of truth, driven by grief and the longing to know Adam. His interactions with Adam’s circle reveal layers of memory, love, and the complexities of reconciling the past with the present.

🏢 Industrialist 🔎 Investigator 🕊️ Reconciliation

Gideon (Yoram Toledano)

Gideon is Abigail's father, grieving the death of his daughter who suffered from depression and died by suicide at 18. He proposes a Chinese-inspired idea to marry Adam and Abigail, a move born from heartbreak and a longing for connection. His motion reveals how grief drives unusual, even idealized, solutions to family strife.

🕯️ Grief 🧩 Unconventional proposal 🤝 Shared memory

Micky (Ori Laizerouvich)

Micki is Adam's friend who helps shed light on his life, including everyday moments and episodes that hint at his ambitions and troubles. He provides crucial information about Adam's circle and the missing hashish, helping Ariel piece together the puzzle of Adam's life. His perspective adds a grounded, youth-adjacent viewpoint to the memories Ariel uncovers.

👥 Friend 🗺️ Local guide 🕵️‍♂️ Investigation helper

Longing Settings

Learn where and when Longing (2017) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

Tel Aviv, Acre

The story spans Tel Aviv, where Ariel is a successful industrialist, and Acre, the historic port city where Adam lived. Tel Aviv frames the modern, fast-paced world of business life, while Acre provides a quieter, more intimate backdrop for uncovering family history. The film moves through a restaurant, a school, and a cemetery, weaving present-day investigation with memories of the past.

🏙️ Urban settings 🗺️ Israeli cities 🌊 Coastal towns

Longing Themes

Discover the main themes in Longing (2017). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🕯️

Grief

Ariel’s journey to learn about his son’s life after Adam's death exposes unresolved sorrow and the fragility of memory. The path of discovery through Adam’s world becomes a way to process loss and reconnect with a son who was largely unknown. The film treats grief as a catalyst for truth, shaping Ariel's changing sense of self as he learns more about Adam.

🔎

Identity

As Ariel interviews Adam’s friends and family, he discovers that the person he imagined diverges from the real Adam in significant ways. The investigation reveals hidden affections and conflicts, especially Adam’s feelings for Yael, and the complexities of a life that cannot be fully summarized. Memory becomes a method for reconstructing identity, not a definitive portrait.

💔

Forbidden Love

Yael’s role highlights the tension between desire and boundaries—the forbidden appeal between a teacher and a student exposes the fragility of memory, especially if it romanticizes the past. Ariel’s discoveries force a reckoning with what was possible and what was ethically off-limits. The theme probes how memory can idealize or obscure the ethical boundaries surrounding love.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Explore the mobile app

Longing Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Longing (2017). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the sleek, sun‑washed streets of Tel Aviv, a successful industrialist lives a meticulously ordered life. Ariel, a wealthy yet childless man, has built his world around business meetings, polished apartments, and the quiet certainty of routine. One ordinary afternoon, his carefully calibrated existence is jolted by an unexpected phone call from his former college love, Ronit, who carries a revelation that upends the quiet confidence he has long relied upon.

The news that a hidden chapter of his past includes a son he never knew reshapes the contours of Ariel’s desires and anxieties. Suddenly, the questions that have lingered beneath his polished exterior—about legacy, belonging, and the uncharted terrain of parenthood—rise to the surface with a quiet urgency. Compelled by a blend of curiosity, guilt, and a yearning for connection, Ariel decides to step away from the familiar cadence of his city life and travel toward a place where Ronit and the child once lived.

The film unfolds with a patient, observational tone, allowing the landscape of the coastal town and its slow‑moving rhythms to contrast with Ariel’s previous high‑speed world. Light and shadow play across narrow streets and sea‑breezed terraces, mirroring the protagonist’s internal shift from detachment to a more intimate awareness. Conversations are measured, and each lingering glance hints at untold stories, inviting the audience to share Ariel’s tentative steps into an ordinary yet profoundly unfamiliar life.

Through quiet discovery and understated encounters, Longing becomes a meditation on the ways hidden histories echo into the present. As Ariel navigates this new geography—both physical and emotional—he is drawn into a delicate network of memories and relationships that suggest the possibility of reshaping his own narrative, even as the film leaves the ultimate outcomes delicately unresolved.