Left: Hadas Yaron as Shira in Fill
the Void. In the film, director Rama

Burshtein provides her take on the

"sexiness" of arranged marriages.

Chasidic
filmmaker's

Fill The Void

Kar in Bar/Courtesy Sony Pic tu

is Israel's Oscar
entry for Best
Foreign Language
Film.

A Window Into
The Orthodox World

Maxine Dovere
JNS.org

A

t a time when the secular world
looms just beyond the boundar-
ies of Tel Aviv's haredi neigh-
borhoods and the government of Israel
considers ways to integrate young men of
the ultra-Orthodox communities into the
general social fabric of the country, Rama
Burshtein has opened a window into the
day-to-day life of the deeply religious,
tradition-bound community — so often
mysterious and shrouded behind the cur-
tains of separation.
Her film Fill the Void — which
took the top prize at this year's Ophir
Awards (Israel's version of the Oscars) in
September, thereby earning an entry into
the Best Foreign Language Film category
at the 2013 American Oscars — welcomes
the viewer into this family-focused, Torah-
centered world.
The film won another six of the 15
awards given by the Israeli Academy of
Film and Television at Haifa's Krieger Hall
on Sept. 21. It was a remarkably strong
showing for first-time feature film direc-
tor Burshtein, who is Chasidic herself. Her
movie won half of the 14 awards it was
nominated for, netting Burshtein awards
for best director and best script, as well as
best film.
"I never thought this would happen"
Burshtein told JNS.org. "There have been
so many twists and turns, it just goes to
show that it is all really up to God at the
end of the day"
While Fill the Void had been widely
tipped to win Israel's best film award, the
extent of its sweep was a bit less expected.

This year's most widely nominated movie,
The World Is Funny, which was a finalist
in each of the Ophir Awards' 15 categories,
only managed to walk away with prizes for
best lighting and best soundtrack.
Written by veteran Israeli filmmaker
Shemi Zarchin, The World Is Funny also
was the most successful Israeli film at the
domestic box office this year, drawing in
more than 100,000 viewers, the cutoff for
what is considered a hit in Israel.
In contrast, Fill the Void had only one
unadvertised showing in the Tel Aviv
bedroom suburb of Ra'anana to qualify
for both this year's Ophirs and as a nomi-
nee for Best Foreign Language Film at
the Oscars. It was not screened for Israeli
audiences until October.
In the film, Burshtein provides an
unprecedented entry into the haredi com-
munity of Tel Aviv viewed from the per-
spective of protagonist Shira, an 18-year-
old young woman tasked with making the
decision that will define her life. (Actress
Hadas Yaron took home the Ophir for best
lead actress for her portrayal of Shira.)
In conversation following the film's
recent screening at the 50th New York
Film Festival at Lincoln Center, Burshtein
said the film tells its story "from within
the Orthodox world avoiding all but the
most cursory intrusions of the secular
world. The film tells a story of transition:
from heights of joy to depths of sadness,
from death to life, from brother-in-law
to widower to husband, from teenager to
young woman to bride, from mourning to
celebration:'
"The real location of the film is Shira's
heart" said producer Asaf Amir. "Detail is
an integral part of the story. The need to

be creative lends to the magical quality:'
He noted that integrating the secular
and religious cast was a challenge — few
of the main characters had any experience
with the Orthodox world.
Yiphat Klein, who portrays Yochay,
credited the film's success to the work of
Burshtein, who "has the ability to take
everything in hand. It is her influence.
First of all, Rama's a storyteller."
Before directing her first full-length fea-
ture for the secular market, Burshtein said
she made films for Orthodox women "to
help promote self-expression:'
"Fill the Void is not a film for Orthodox
people she said. "The language would
be different. Still, nothing is crossing the
lines:'
Burshtein is more familiar with such
"lines" than many in the haredi commu-
nity: The ba'alat teshuvah filmmaker grew
up as a secular Jew in New York, attended
film school in Jerusalem and became
observant about 20 years ago.
"I love my role as a woman" she said.
"I feel it is true. I chose it. It doesn't stop
me from doing films, but the way I see the
[Orthodox] home — between a man and
a woman, it is sexier. I felt it was time to
tell a story and say something that comes
from really living the life:'
In the film, during a celebration in
the family's apartment, Yochay calls his
very pregnant wife outside. "You are my
Torah!" he tells Ester, expressing a depth
of love the secular world might not expect.
Younger sister Shira is actively involved
in the innocence of matchmaking and is
looking forward to engagement and mar-
riage (albeit, arranged), in which "every-
thing is new:'

Above: Best Film Fill the Void at Israel's
Ophir Awards on Sept. 21 in Haifa: best
supporting actress Irit Sheleg, best
director Rama Burshtein, best lead
actress Hadas Yaron and producer Assaf
Amir.

Then, Esther dies. Months pass, and
Yochay is pressured to remarry. His dis-
consolate mother-in-law, Rivka, proposes a
union between the widower and Shira, her
second daughter.
Yochay and Shira both are faced with
the challenge of an unexpected life choice.
Neither one of the proposed pair imme-
diately accepts the "match:' Eventually,
however, both agree to follow the rituals of
haredi courtship, though neither believes
the relationship can succeed. The unex-
pected is yet to occur.
When attempts at courtship fail and
both decide a marriage relationship can-
not grow, the amount and intensity of time
Shira and Yochay are allowed together is
unique. As brother and sister-in-law, they
are not chaperoned. He sees her at a bus
stop and drives her to her work. They are
together at family events. Shira, caring
for Mordechai, the child of her sister, has
direct contact with Yochay, his father.
They argue, alone together on a dark Tel
Aviv terrace. The growing tension between
them — as man and woman—is palpable.
They are angry, he breathes heavily and
they nearly touch. "You are too close
warns the young woman as they argue
about love and heartbreak.
Burshtein, step by step, brings the film
toward its inevitable conclusion. "Haredi
couples" she said, "have their own play-
book for expressing emotion:' ❑

Ronen Shnidman of JNS.org contributed to this

article.

Oscar nominations will be
announced on Jan.10.

JN

December 27 • 2012

47