Orna and Ella

When the renowned Tel Aviv restaurant Orna and Ella closed after 26 years, the city said farewell to a landmark culinary destination. This mouthwatering documentary, shot during the final days of the restaurant, was directed by Tomer Heymann (Paper Dolls, Mr. Gaga), who has not only been a major award-winning voice in Israeli nonfiction cinema for more than two decades but also worked at Orna and Ella for six years himself—and came out there as a gay man in his twenties. In addition to the beloved sweet potato latkes, homemade bread, and ice cream, this Tel Aviv institution was a bastion of open-mindedness. Humorous and poignant, his film stands as a complex testament to the two women who owned the restaurant, Orna Agmon and Ella Shine. They are refreshingly candid as they look back on the ups and downs of their partnership, while Heymann’s film also pays tribute to a recent past that has begun to feel increasingly distant.

Preceded by:
A Bit of Everything and Matzoh Balls Too

A Bit of Everything and Matzoh Balls Too

Emily Lobsenz, 2025, U.S., 19m
New York Premiere
A tribute to the history and magical healing powers of that most durable of Jewish comfort foods—matzoh ball soup—and the personal family stories that surround it.