Ori Allon

Ori Allon’s got his fingerprints all over “Tatami” (2023), a film that doesn’t really play by the rulebook. It’s kind of a wild ride, weaving together tension, loyalty, and the gnarly politics that ripple through international sports. The story zeroes in on an Iranian judo coach and her star athlete at a world championship in Tbilisi. Just when she thinks she’s got a real shot, the higher-ups drop a bomb: her athlete can’t face an Israeli opponent, or there’ll be hell to pay back home. The pressure’s suffocating, not just for the athlete but for her coach, who’s spent years training for this exact moment. Honestly, it’s hard not to get pulled into the gut-wrenching choices these women have to make—do they throw away their integrity, or risk everything for a shot at greatness? The film’s not just about sports, though. It digs way deeper, tackling stuff like identity, sacrifice, and the kind of quiet rebellion that happens when the world’s watching. Every scene is loaded with this intense, claustrophobic vibe, thanks to the way Allon and his crew shoot the matches and backstage drama—close-ups, shaky cam, the whole nine yards. The stakes feel real, and so do the consequences. You can almost taste the adrenaline and fear. “Tatami” doesn’t really let you off the hook; it keeps poking at those moral gray areas, forcing you to ask yourself what you’d do in their shoes. It’s raw, relentless, and leaves you thinking long after the credits roll.