In a world ruled by superstitions, a skeptical non-believer intentionally defies tradition. Yet, as personal stakes escalate, her rebellious certainty takes a turn, leading her to gradually open to the unknown.
A writer-director. Mor explores magic realist narratives across various media, including films, video art installations, and immersive VR/AR experiences. Her work has been screened at international festivals across Europe, South America, and Asia.
Mor’s directorial portfolio showcases projects shot in Israel, France, and Italy. Her work spans a variety of disciplines, including directing, screenwriting, video editing, photography, acting, line production, and sound editing. Currently, she is developing a full-length screenplay with support from a national film fund and is in post-production for her latest short film, “Strengthening the Implicit.”
Mor’s films have been recognized with awards for Best Editing, Best Cinematography, and more. Additionally, her films have been nominated for Best Director and Best Script at the Madrid Film Awards
Director Statement
Trimming nails in bed summons restless ghosts, spilling salt awakens inner demons, sleeping in front of a mirror invites impending death, stepping in with the left foot first brings forth unseen forces of misfortune. Left Foot Forward swims in the murky waters of superstition and folklore. It’s a world where every move one does holds a potential curse. Our protagonist, a stubborn skeptic, undermines the rigid belief system, a set of traditions fiercely enforced by her father. But as the stakes rise and the threat of loss increases, the unknown creeps in and her certainty crumbles. This newfound vulnerability pushes her to act in unpredictable and irrational ways, forcing her to confront the very beliefs she once dismissed.
Inspired by the haunting extreme custom of Ghost Marriage, we encounter human desire for control over the unknown. This tradition, surprisingly remains legal in France, our filming location, to this day. It involves marrying the deceased with a living partner, allowing them to fulfill their soul’s social obligations and find peace in the afterlife. This unique custom serves as a springboard for the film’s exploration of rituals and traditions ingrained in our lives, including basic social conventions we often overlook. Spilled salt causing a fight, is a superstition we dismiss easily with logic. Yet, countless social rituals we unquestioningly accept. Ghost marriage, becomes the extreme symbol of how far we’ll reach for comfort in the unknown. Highlighting how much we rely on rituals and traditions in the face of uncertainty.
Left Foot Forward may plant seeds of doubt in our own certainties. The story becomes a dance between the idea of a higher power and the ever-present chaos. We cling to reason, constructing elaborate belief systems to shield ourselves from the lurking mundane darkness. The film explores this potentially terrifying and liberating shift in perception when we open up the not knowing.
Did Leona truly cause the misfortune, or was it simply a random twist of fate? Do our choices shape our destiny, or are we powerless to control the outcomes? Where is the line between the exaggerated and the necessary in practices defined by human society? These are some of the questions the film explores.
Interview
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Genreal director statement:
We all love a good story, especially those spooky ones whispered around campfires, the kind that linger in your mind long after the flames die down. These tales, with their symbols and mathaphors, transcend time and place. Though they may be timeless and universal, they hold the power to stir our present, our current struggles and beliefs. These stories are magical to me because they are like a puddle, we can all take a glance, the water surface is the same, but for each person a different reflection appear. This is one of a few films I made in this genre I am exploring.
| Mor Lankri Director, Writer, Producer, Editing Raphael Federer DOP, Producer, Editing, Colorist Kino Pyrenees Producer Manon Producer Alexis Producer Milton Michaeli Film Score Nir Shor Sound design |
