Jewish Movie Review: Fill the Void

With what excitement I was waiting for years to watch Fill the Void, directed by the Israeli-based Orthodox film director Rama Burshtein. The movie, set in the Orthodox community of the un-orthodox city of Tel Aviv, won several Israeli Academy Awards and the main actress, Hadas Yaron, who also played in Shtisel, among other roles, won Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival.

Personally, I am very cross about this movie. 

First and foremost, there are so many aspects I´ve loved about the movie. The game of the actors is natural, non-affected, their scripts are simple yet tensed by the weight of the choices they have to make and the responsibilities they have. There is not a ´we´ - the religious - against ´them´ - the non-religious - narrative although at least in one moment, during the Purim festival, when the old rabbi wants to learn Torah while the outside world is loudly celebrating, he requested with a mild irritated voice to close the windows. But it is a normal behavior and the decision is made without further discussion about who´s the best. 

I also deeply loved the artistic effects, with the long focus of the camera on the light and shadows reflected on the tensed faces of the actors. The silence while the camera stays focused tells more than the whole script sometimes. Especially for the case of people belonging to the religious realm, it reflects the unique interior life and the conflicts that often arise between what you want and you can´t say for reasons that pertain to religious obligations. The eyes and the more or less open exchange of sights - in line with the modesty requirements - are a world in themselves with their own grammar and expressivity rules.

On the other side, there are those things that I was not so happy about. Which is, the story itself: after her sister died during the later stages of pregnancy, Shira the youngest daughter of a respectable religious family, is tormented by the difficult choice she is faced with: marrying the husband of her late sister and thus the little baby born will not leave or follow her shidduchim plans. The movie starts with Shira and her mother, bursting out of innocent joy, spying on a funny bochur in a supermarket, that she would fancy to date. This, before the family is struck by misfortune. What can one do against misfortune? Especially if you are a religious person? Will Shira marry her brother-in-law?

There is not the ending I wanted, but it has to do with my own rebelious/selfish nature of rather doing what I think it is good for myself, instead of thinking at a macro-, larger level, which involves obligations and less feelings and emotions. 

The movie is relatiely short - 1h27 - and although I did not enjoy the story, I appreciated the play of the actors and the artistic effects. And this was a big won of my last movie evening.