MOVIE: Fill the Void

Fill the Void: finding a husband orthodox Jewish family style.  This Israeli film by Rama Burshtein, a female orthodox Jewish director, tells the touching story of an 18 year old girl whose older sister dies giving birth to her first child, a baby boy.  The movie opens with Shira, our 18 year old, at a market with a marriage broker looking from a distance at a prospective husband.  The movie moves on to a festive Purim ceremony at the home of Shira’s father, a orthodox rabbi.  We meet Shira’s 28 year old sister who, by her size and the apparent position of the baby, is close to giving birth.  We also meet the sister’s husband, Yochay.  From this festive perspective, the atmosphere changes when the sister unexpectedly dies.  Primary care for the baby falls to Esther, Shira’s mother.  Esther watches how Shira cares for the baby and comes up with the idea that Yochay should marry Shira.  For those of you not up to speed with Old Testament stories, there is precedent for such marital arrangements although the story in Deuteronomy involves a male being encouraged to marry his brother’s widow.  Within a religious context, this film shows Shira wanting to be a dutiful daughter while having concern as to the age difference between herself and Yochay (not specified but he has to be in his 30’s) and wanting to have a husband not already experienced in marital affairs.  Shira is a complex individual who clearly has her own desires.  A lot happens within the 90 minutes of screen time.  All of it is done with respectfulness to religious traditions while managing to tell a coming of age tale.  This is Burshtein’s first film and it is a remarkable premiere.  The marriage ritual tradition displayed in the film is totally outside my life experience.  The roles of females and males are clearly segregated but with respect and not domination.  The storyline addresses family loyalty verses individualism but within a structure that focuses on the importance of marriage.  Beyond Shira, the film also addresses Yochay’s situation.  He is a good man who has options - an offer to move to Belgium and marry a widow with two children.  The widow character is discussed but never shown.  I found the film entertaining, however, it challenged my western suburbia upbringing.  For the first time ever, promptly upon leaving the film I felt compelled to call my sister.  We had a discussion regarding the life style of an orthodox woman as opposed to one who adopts a conventionally modern life style.  The movie is subtitled in Hebrew.