In Elephant in the Desert, written and directed by Yael Nivron, Rotem (Yael Nivron) struggles to hold her relationship together with Nadav (Roy Nik), even as signs of emotional and physical abuse surface. After a violent confrontation, Nadav chokes her while he is sleepwalking. The next morning, Nadav behaves as if nothing had happened. Rotem then looks at the bruises on her neck and is deeply concerned about the man she loves and her own safety.
Hoping a getaway would be the answer to their problems, Rotem prepares a camping trip for the two of them to escape their troubles. Around the campfire, she gently confronts Nadav about the choking incident. She asks if he’s aware of his sleepwalking, though she clearly knows it’s part of a troubling pattern. Nadav, unable to face his guilt, burns himself on a pot in an act of self-harm. Overwhelmed by anxiety and unable to fix what is broken, Rotem steps outside the tent and experiences a panic attack.
Rotem (Yael Nivron) finds Nadav (Roy Nik) hiding under the bed in Elephant in the Desert.
“…trapped in an emotional desert with no clear way out.”
The best films make you feel. They either evoke feelings from within you or, as in this case, you feel the same emotions as the protagonist. For Rotem, she is caught between loving and fearing the one she’s betrothed to. We see the fear in her eyes and the love in her heart. Like an artist, Nivron wrote, directed, and stars in her short film. She carefully curates every scene and every frame for maximum effect. Elephant in the Desert explores the painful cycle of love, abuse, and self-destruction, leaving Rotem and Nadav trapped in an emotional desert with no clear way out.
Yael Nivron’s Elephant in the Desert is a raw and deeply personal story about the painful contradictions of love and fear. Through Rotem’s journey, we witness the heartbreaking struggle of someone trying to hold on to a relationship that may be beyond repair.
"…unable to fix what is broken..."
