The Passengers

In Ethiopia, there is a community of over nine thousand Jews. They speak Hebrew, keep kosher and have relatives in Israel, yet Israel continues to deny their appeals for aliyah — the Jewish birthright to become a citizen of Israel. The community survives within a temporary, difficult reality in Ethiopia, dreaming of one day living fully as Jews in Israel. THE PASSENGERS tells the story of the Ethiopian Jews, and of the struggle for this final community to immigrate to Israel. The film follows the amazing journey of two young men, Demoz and Gezi, as they represent their abandoned community on a fateful mission in America. With intimate access and detailed historical context we follow the unlikely spokesmen, out of Ethiopia for the first time in their lives, as they deal with intense pressure, homesickness and ups and downs of a grassroots campaign, while growing personally from the life-changing journey. When only one of the pair of best friends is unexpectedly approved to immigrate to Israel, they must reconcile the decision and their hopes and dreams while facing an uncertain future.