Lea Tsemel has been called a rebel with a lost cause and a whole lot worse. But as the intimate, powerful “Advocate” demonstrates, she lives up to the film’s title in the purest sense of the word: She stands up for people. Expertly directed by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaïche, “Advocate” examines Tsemel from numerous perspectives, delving into her history, her family and the way she operates day to day. “Security is the dragon that stands guard.”A commitment as fierce as this has an inevitable impact on Tsemel’s family. “I’m a very angry optimistic woman,” she says at one point, and what we see in this compelling film bears her out.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 02, 2020 21:22 UTC