“Foreign Letters”

This bittersweet coming-of-age film is a love letter to the strong bond of friends. Set in the 1980s, young Ellie, new to the US from Israel, anxiously waits for letters from her best friend back home. Suffering from homesickness, language difficulties and rejection, her life brightens when she meets Thuy, a Vietnamese refugee her age with her own set of immigrant issues. Based on director Ela Thier's personal experience, this charming film is about prejudice, shame, and the power of friendship.