Jewish Film Festival

The Little Traitor

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2008 Los Angeles Jewish and Palm Beach International Film Festivals, THE LITTLE TRAITOR is based on the novel Panther in the Basement by world-renowned author Amos Oz.  Set in 1947 Palestine, just a few months before Israel becomes a state, this captivating coming-of-age tale centers on Proffy Liebowitz (Ido Port), a precocious 12-year-old boy who has grown up under British occupation and wants nothing more than for the British to get out of his land.  But when he’s caught breaking curfew by the worldly and kind Sergeant Dunlop (Alfred Molina, “Dr. Octopus” in Spider Man 2, An Education), a unique friendship develops between these two “enemies” as tensions escalate and friends and neighbors (including the great Theodore Bikel) grow suspicious and are quick to judge.  Writer/director Lynn Roth skillfully blends history and life lessons in this amusing and ultimately touching gem of a film.