Once the dust settles, the attendees discover to their horror that the collapse has left the wife of the rabbi in a coma, and her inconsolable husband abraham celektar in a state of shock. The womens balcony cleveland international film festival. Already a hit on the festival circuit, the womens balcony is a rousing, goodhearted tale about women speaking truth to patriarchal power. Movie detail page san diego, ca the womens balcony. The film is about a sephardic jewish community dealing with the women s balcony collapsing at synagogue. Charismatic young rabbi david appears to be a savior after the accident, but slowly starts pushing his fundamentalist ways and tries to take control. This tests the womens friendships and creates an almost lysistratatype rift between the communitys women and men. Awash with jerusalems distinctive glow, the womens balcony is a warm, poignant portrait of a modern community struggling to balance protocol with. Once the dust settles, the attendees discover to their horror that the collapse has left the wife of the rabbi in a coma, and her inconsolable husband abraham celektar in a state. One example is the debate over whether its acceptable to employ a sabbath gentile. This delightful feature debut from emil benshimon demonstrates the importance of community, values, and tradition, and the power of women to hold it all together.
While the mood is that of a gentle and affectionate comedy, the film makes some extremely sharp points about fanaticism, sexism masked as holiness, and tolerance among the faithful. Its safe to call the israeli film the womens balcony the opposite of a hollywood blockbuster. The east bay international jewish film festival has chosen the womens balcony to open its annual showcase of jewish films this year. The womens balcony ismach hatani 2017 rotten tomatoes.
Released 2016, the women s balcony stars aviv alush, yafit asulin, orna banai, evelin hagoel the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 36 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic. The womens balcony begins with a bar mitzvah and ends with a wedding. The womens balcony is an unforced comedy that doesnt pull any ideological punches, and exactly the kind of nuanced crowd pleaser that audiences of all backgrounds have deserved for quite some time. And how often can you get both those things in one. Special thanks to our community partner for this screening, the tucson international jewish film festival. When the womens balcony in an orthodox synagogue collapses, leaving the rabbis wife in a coma and the rabbi in shock, the congregation falls into crisis. How the womens balcony turned into a surprise hit the. The womens balcony is a joyous, riotous and thought provoking portrayal of a community striving for equality, which has deservedly become a global hit. Mar 06, 2017 instead, the film gives all the characters their due even rabbi david, who never devolves into a cardboard villain with the result that the womens balcony, thanks also in part to its.
This is a film about community, a larger version of a close knit family where everybody respects and appreciates each other, which is. Aside from this subtle issue, the film was really good. The womens balcony official trailer 1 2017 avraham aviv alush movie duration. The womens balcony, his first feature film, was nominated for five israeli film academy awards. Aug 11, 2017 however, before the lad can read from the elaborate torah scroll, there is a loud noise, and the womens balcony caves in, with the elderly rabbi menashas wife injured so badly that she lies in a coma at the hospital. The story begins when the womens balcony at the synagogue collapses during the bar mitzvah celebration for etties grandson. Jun 15, 2017 a major boxoffice success in israel, the women s balcony is so seemingly sitespecific that even its driving force, screenwriter shlomit nehama, was surprised when it began succeeding overseas.
Most striking to me was the quickness by which ettie was forgiven by her friends. A bar mitzvah mishap causes a major rift in a devout orthodox community in jerusalem. The rabbis wife suffers head trauma and becomes comatose. The womens balcony a closeknit congregation fractures along gender lines after a catastrophe at their synagogue in this nicely observed dramedy.
The movie, directed by emil benshimon, is a sensitive, sliceoflife story that focuses. The women s balcony is an eccentric portrait of an already devout community suddenly under pressure from a super orthodox rabbi to observe their faith in a more rigid way. Instead, the film gives all the characters their due even rabbi david, who never devolves into a cardboard villain with the result that the womens. Trailer 1 the women s balcony synopsis an accident during a bar mitzvah celebration leads to a rift between the men and women in a devout community in jerusalem in this rousing, goodhearted comedy. The womens balcony 2016 directed by emil benshimon.
View from the womens balcony israeli screenwriter shlomit nehama talks about her feelgood dramatic comedy set in a traditional orthodox community in jerusalem. With the aging rabbi ailing, and the building unusable for want of expensive repairs, the easygoing congregation falls. The womens balcony opens at tiff bell lightbox in toronto on friday, july 14, 2017. While the mood is that of a gentle and affectionate comedy, the film makes some extremely sharp points about fanaticism, sexism masked as holiness, and tolerance among the. The womens balcony isnt a great film, but it is an appealing and goodnatured farce that the toronto fest deemed rebellious and respectful. Lost and found in translation what the critical reception of the hit film says about israeli and american societies. Religion and rights clash in israeli film the womens balcony. The perfect match hindi short film hurdles a couple faces who is all set to marry duration. The movie begins with the collapse of the womens balcony in an orthodox jewish synagogue in jerusalem.
Released 2016, the womens balcony stars aviv alush, yafit asulin, orna banai, evelin hagoel the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 36 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic. The women s balcony isnt a great film, but it is an appealing and goodnatured farce that the toronto fest deemed rebellious and respectful. The womens balcony, an israeli box office hit about a jerusalem clash of religious cultures, is an unapologetically warmhearted comedic drama. The women participate from the synagogues balcony, and the unthinkable happens. Film series the womens balcony 326 chabad lubavitch of. Already a hit on the festival circuit, the women s balcony is a rousing, goodhearted tale about women speaking truth to patriarchal power. Winner, best screenplay award uk international jewish film festival 2017. I greatly enjoyed this film despite some glaring holes in the plot. The premise is simple enough during a shabbat morning service, the womens balcony in a jerusalem synagogue collapses. The womens balcony is a feelgood, crowdpleasing comedy that depicts what happens when extremism and traditional values collide. The women s balcony ismach hatani critics consensus. Filmography the womens balcony 2016 producers osnat handelsmankeren, talia kleinhendler. Dec 03, 2016 view from the womens balcony israeli screenwriter shlomit nehama talks about her feelgood dramatic comedy set in a traditional orthodox community in jerusalem.
The accident leaves the rabbis wife in a coma and the rabbi in. A major boxoffice success in israel, the womens balcony is so seemingly sitespecific that even its driving force, screenwriter shlomit nehama, was surprised when it began succeeding overseas. This tests the women s friendships and creates an almost lysistratatype rift between the community s women and men. However, before the lad can read from the elaborate torah scroll, there is a loud noise, and the womens balcony caves in, with the elderly rabbi menashas wife injured so badly that she lies in a coma at the hospital. Please complete if you are new to chabad or if your address has changed street address. The womens balcony san francisco jewish film festival. The only one injured is the rabbis wife, though her hospitalization triggers a worsening in the condition of the aging rabbi, who retreats to his home, almost entirely cutting off communication with the outside world.
The women s balcony, his first feature film, was nominated for five israeli film academy awards. The womens balcony is a highly entertaining dramatic comedy about community, old traditions and values, and the power of women to keep all of these together in the face of modern extremism. A bar mitzvah is in full swing at an orthodox temple in jerusalem when the balcony designated for women worshipers suddenly gives way. Religion and rights clash in israeli film the womens. May 24, 2017 the premise is simple enough during a shabbat morning service, the womens balcony in a jerusalem synagogue collapses. Thursday, march 2 at century 16 in pleasant hill a number of other local screenings are right around the corner, as well. The film is about a sephardic jewish community dealing with the womens balcony collapsing at synagogue. The womens balconys itzik cohen speaks to flickdirect duration. Emil benshimon was born in tel aviv and has directed work for television. The womens balcony 2016 stream and watch online moviefone. Jun 08, 2017 the women s balcony offers pointed but warm comedy.
When the womens balcony of the synagogue collapses in. Please complete if you are new to chabad or if your address has changed. Film series the womens balcony 326 chabad lubavitch. Mar 02, 2017 the women s balcony, an israeli box office hit about a jerusalem clash of religious cultures, is an unapologetically warmhearted comedic drama. An accident during a bar mitzvah celebration leads to a gender rift in a devout orthodox community in jerusalem, in this rousing, goodhearted tale about women speaking truth to patriarchal power.
A wickedly funny battle of the sexes, characterized by dirty tricks and lysistratalike maneuvers, begins with the collapse of the womens balcony in a small, dilapidated jerusalem synagogue. Filmography the women s balcony 2016 producers osnat handelsmankeren, talia kleinhendler. Emil ben shimons feature debut is a comical feminist narrative about finding the right path to happiness and the subjectivity of righteousness. With evelin hagoel, igal naor, orna banai, einat saruf. Jun 15, 2017 the womens balcony immerses the viewer in a culture whose rules may seem unusual to outsiders. The film from israel looks at group of women fighting back against an ultraconservative young rabbi.