Noodle / The Temple Emanu-el Seventh Annual Kirk Cashmere Jewish Film Festival begins Feb. 21 and ends March 1, with six stellar features and docs from Israel, Germany, the Czech Republic and the U.S. Among those prize-winning films is the charming comedy-drama Noodle, winner of the special grand prize at the prestigious 2007 Montreal World Film fest.

Miri, a twice-widowed El-Al flight attendant, shares living accommodations with her 40-year-old sister Gila, Gila’s soon-to-be-divorced husband Izzy and the couple’s teen-age daughter. Izzy, who is also an El-Al employee, is, at this point, closer to Miri than to his sarcastic wife; but all pretend that things are better than they are in the interest of perhaps making them better.

One day, Miri’s cleaning lady, a hard-working Chinese young woman, asks if Miri can watch the lady’s 6-year-old son for an hour so that she can go on an important mission. The child, who speaks no English, stays put, well-behaved and charming. But his mother does not return, not in an hour and not overnight. Further investigation involving the boy, christened Noodle, proves that his mother is an illegal immigrant and her child a secret from authorities. The woman is found out and sent immediately back to China, Beijing to be specific.

Miri, who is 37 and dubious about ever re-marrying, is in a quandary but does her best to care for Noodle, who is quick to pick up words in English and quick to charm everyone in the somewhat tense family. The question is, of course, is to determine the boy’s fate. In strict legal terms, Noodle does not exist: almost no one has known of his existence, and no one in Miri’s household can imagine how to contact his mother—the only clue to her Beijing existence is a scrap of paper bearing the words “Double Happiness.”

Enter Matti, a television reporter/traveler, once a close family friend. How close? Gila has, in fact, cheated on Izzy with Matti, who has removed himself from the family circle, even though Izzy says he no longer bears ill will. It seems obvious to Miri, however, that Matti is still much smitten with Gila, whose lacerating sense of humor he appreciates.

Plans for Noodle are discussed, discarded and re-started, each one too fanciful to be practical—or so it seems. Finally, it is decided: Miri will smuggle the kid into Beijing, tucked away in a large suitcase on one of her flights. Matti says he will fly to Mongolia (for a job) early so he can accompany Miri. Then Gila, more than ever on the outs with Izzy, decides she will make the airplane flight as well and the conspirators then begin to train Noodle in the intricacies of hiding, breathing, eating and keeping mum within his confines. Almost no one thinks this ruse will work but Matti, who opines that no one smuggles anything into China these days.

What now happens to the clever, “non-existent” boy, Miri, Gila and Matti? They’re all risking prison for their scheme—prison or worse. Izzy is skeptical but supportive, and, then, at the last moment, Miri’s travel itinerary is changed, making a flight to Beijing imminent.

This beautifully-handled movie, free from cuteness and whimsy, traverses its own course skillfully, moving from laughs to drama and back again within any strain, without any plot development seeming forced, and without belaboring its story. Its language combination of Hebrew, a little English and some Mandarin is handled deftly, and adds to the brew of this character-driven tale, told in only 93 minutes.

No war story here, no border disputes, no espionage—just a believable account of a child, a parent, a suitor, a parting couple and the complications of a world where races and ethnicities have been whipped together as if by a titanic egg-beater. Of course, this is an important story and it’s one Honolulu audiences should enjoy.

Noodle plays Sat., Feb. 28 at 7:30pm, Doris Duke Theatre, 900 S. Beretania St., 532-8768