Directed by Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller, and Jeremy Newberger
USA / Israel / Japan / South Korea, 2018
Documentary
English
86 minutes
A stirring story of sports, patriotism and personal growth, Heading Home charts the underdog journey of Israel's national baseball team competing for the first time in the World Baseball Classic. After years of defeat, Team Israel is finally ranked among the world's best in 2017, eligible to compete in the prestigious international tournament. Their line-up included several Jewish American Major League players―Ike Davis, Josh Zeid and ex-Braves catcher Ryan Lavarnway―most with a tenuous relationship to Judaism, let alone having ever set foot in Israel. Their odyssey takes them from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem where they are greeted as heroes, to Seoul where they must debunk their has-been, wannabe reputations. With their Mensch on the Bench mascot by their side, the team laughs, cries, and does much soul-searching, discovering the pride of representing Israel on the world stage.
Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel
Awards
Winner - Audience Favorite Award
Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival 2019
Winner - Best Documentary
Cherry Hill Volvo Cars Jewish Film Festival at the Katz JCC 2019
Winner - Audience Favorite Award
Cincinnati's Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival 2019
Winner - Best Documentary
Gold Coast International Film Festival 2018
Winner - Best Documentary
Jewish Arts and Film Festival of Fairfield County 2018
Winner - Audience Award
Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival 2018
Winner - Audience Award
Washington DC Jewish Film Festival 2018
Winner - Best Documentary
Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival 2018