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The film Justification (20 minutes) is available at the top of the page.

The short film Justification by filmmaker Tom Shoval opens with an extended shot: a woman in a red coat sits facing the camera at a café in Tel Aviv, Israel. After several prolonged seconds, she rises and leaves. The camera remains still, and only an off-screen exchange with a waitress hints that the shot reflects a character’s perspective rather than an objective viewpoint.

The gaze then shifts to a woman walking down the street, carrying a child’s backpack. This marks the first shift in perspective—from behind her head to a close-up of Tamara (Hadas Yaron), whose point of view we have shared until now.

The encounter between Tamara and the stranger momentarily disrupts her solitude. The woman asks for financial help, claiming her wallet was stolen—twelve shekels, just enough for a bus ride home to Lod. After a brief exchange, Tamara is convinced and hands her the exact amount.

But when she later leaves the café and reaches her parked car, she notices the same woman approaching others for money, each time with a different story. Intrigued, she begins following her, trying to uncover who she is, where she comes from, and why the money she gave was not enough.

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