The trailer of the movie "Home"/United King
Since Torah Judaism and Shas became the kings of kings in Israeli politics in the mid-1980s, ultra-orthodox society and the conflict between religion and state have become one of the favorite topics of local culture, for example in films such as "Get" and "The Unofficial". "Home", which is released this weekend, is another film about these issues, and it is even more acute and critical than its predecessors, which were poignant in themselves. The result is brave, explosive and even stressful. It starts as a drama and then turns into an apocalyptic action thriller reminiscent of the Hollywood "The Purge" series. Either way, this is one of the Israeli films The best of the last few years.
All of this is impressive, also because the starting point of the film is as minor and minimalist as its name. The story of "Home" can be summed up in one short sentence - a guy is trying to set up a computer store. So what else could happen? You will be amazed, and be amazed.
You The film was written and directed by Benny Fredman, an ultra-Orthodox who returned to Israel. Based on his personal experiences, he presents here the story of a young man from the ultra-Orthodox community in Jerusalem, played by Roi Nik. His father is an important rabbi who wrote many books, but his son follows a different path and opens a computer store in the Gaola neighborhood The ultra-orthodox.
What can happen?
You will be amazed and amazed.
From "Beit"/Ofer Eldovi
The store is a success, and begins to expand.
In addition to computers, the hero of the film also starts selling music players.
All of them are kosher of course, without connection to the network, and yet he arouses the wrath of the community's "committee".
The head of the organization is played by Dror Keren, the director's good friend who also participated in writing the script, and his character here is similar to that of "The Don" in the Mafia movies.
He threatens to close and even burn down the store, unless the brazen young man agrees to allow him to take over its management.
It is not clear if this stems from opposition to progress, or from corruption - time and time again the head of the committee states that the store will only continue to operate if a separate paid supervisor is appointed.
Time and time again, the rebellious young man refuses to agree to this.
Into this pressure cooker also enters the hero's partner, a young woman played by Yordan Tusia-Cohen who also rebels against the accepted codes, for example in her immodest clothing.
She is heavily pregnant, which further intensifies the drama surrounding the couple's life.
This is Fredman's second feature film, after "Suicide" which about a decade ago became one of the first Israeli films that Netflix acquired, long before this platform became an empire.
That film did not receive a special resonance, but "Home" was nominated for nine Ophir Awards, including in the main categories, and deservedly won two - for the acting work of Nick and Keren.
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Hebrew is much more fluent than in most Israeli films.
From "Beit"/Ofer Eldovi
"Home" places its creator at the center of the map of local cinema.
The director reveals here an extraordinary cinematic talent and manages to grab the viewer by the throat for 110 minutes.
He builds the drama well, and it is wonderful to describe how a dispute over one business turns into a conflict that ignites the entire Geula neighborhood in Jerusalem.
Fredman does this through a skillful and excellent use of the means of cinematic expression - for example, cross-editing, or shots that skip between close-ups on the characters' expressive faces to shots that look down on Jerusalem from above and expand the canvas of the story.
A lot of praise also goes to cinematographer Ofer Eldoubi, whose work contributes to the roughness, authenticity and intensity of the film, which illuminates the capital city in a disturbing and menacing light.
The script is a treat for the ears.
Federman and Keren kindly use the language of their heroes - more fluent Hebrew than is common in Israeli cinema, a little Yiddish and many concepts unique to the community, which build a rich and unique world.
Roy Nik is simply phenomenal as a hero, and strengthens his position as one of the best Israeli actors of our generation.
Once again he is able to describe a person who has lost control.
The talented actor already did this in "Normal", but then he played the character of Lior Dayan, the symbol of secular bohemia, and here he easily stepped into the shoes of an ultra-Orthodox.
His performance is so captivating that we keep our fingers crossed and follow the hero's crusade with devotion, even though he has no chance.
Horned Sparrow is also great as the story's arch-villain.
The acting of both of them is so convincing that it made me forget the cinematic illusion.
I so wanted the "good guys" to win, that I ignored the fact that it was just a movie, and I had no influence on the course of the plot anyway, and I sat full of emotions in front of the screen.
You can't help but keep your fingers crossed for them.
Roy Nick and Jordan Tosia-Cohen in "Beit"/Ofer Aldobi
Yordan Tusia-Cohen, in her outstanding film role so far, shapes with restraint, wisdom and character one of the most interesting characters we have seen of ultra-Orthodox women.
Rami Baruch and Esti Kosowitzki, known mainly for their theater roles, are excellent and full of emotion as the protagonist's parents, who are perhaps the most tragic characters in the story.
The Joker for me is Niv Major, who has been famous until now as a comedian, and here he plays a role that is not funny at all - one of the young assistants of the old rabbi, who actively leads the attack against the computer store, and there is something eerie in his presence, reminiscent of inquisitors.
This is also the place to talk about the elephant in the room.
There are few secular characters in the film, the most prominent of which is a helpless policeman.
The rest of the characters are ultra-orthodox and this drama paints most of them in negative colors - as powerful, violent, greedy and dark people.
If a non-Jewish director had directed "Beit", we would have called him anti-Semitic.
But this is not a theoretical matter: the film was made by a Jew, and by chance also an ultra-Orthodox in the past, and because of the cultural boycott on Israel it probably won't be screened too much in the world anyway, so you can relax.
There will be no damage to the reputation of the Jewish people.
One of the best Israeli players of his generation.
Roy Nik in "Beit"/Ofer Eldovi
Since this is the case, we can focus on the question of what the local audience can learn from this film.
First of all, who even said that this is a work about a society or an entire community.
Its hero can be seen as a sort of modern and ultra-Orthodox incarnation of Don Quixote or Michael Koolhaus, and the entire film is a portrait of an individual - a portrait of an idealist seeking justice, whose principles and obsessions put him in a spiral that threatens to destroy his world.
And if you still insist on examining the film from a wider perspective, then you can of course see it as a defiance against ultra-Orthodox society, which is an easy target now, even more than usual.
But it can also be said that it has a more universal parable.
Beyond the controversy surrounding the sale of computers in the Geula neighborhood of Jerusalem,
"Beit" shows how corrupting power is, how dangerous the combination of populist leaders with arbitrary laws and even more bloodthirsty young supporters, and how disastrous is uncompromising extremism on both sides.
Of course, it also shows how a debate on one principled matter can end in catastrophe.
"House" is so called because it is the name of the computer store in the center of it, but it seems that this name has a greater meaning.
Just before it's too late, he calls us to save our home, and he does so in electrifying cinematic fashion.
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