In Production: Rama Burstein’s Filling the Void

For the most part, life in Israel consists of two major conflicts: one is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (many movie samples out there exist on the subject matter), and the lesser known one is the conflict between secular and religious people inside the Jewish community. Because the religious part lead their life in closed circuits, not many things are known about everyday life among the secular Jews, and it is even harder to explain that to non-Israelis. But these days there is a film in production that might just open a window to this world. We previously had 2004’s Ushpizin – perhaps the best known and successful of them all, but for the most part, these have been directed solely by secular directors. Filling the Void is the first project aimed at a wide audience that is directed by someone from within the religious community.

Rama Burstein is a graduate from the Sam Spiegel Film School in Jerusalem, but a few months after she graduated, she turned to religion, and left the cinema world behind her. Now, 20 years later, she felt the need to tell it like it really is. “Secular film makers are only interested in religious life when it comes to living by what the Torah commands. The way we were depicted on screen makes us look like we do not love the bible. I felt the need to make a film that will change that perception”, says Burstein.

The film will tell the story of a Hasidic family where the younger daughter is preparing for a fixed marriage, but then tragedy strikes: the older daughter dies while giving birth to her second child. In order to deal with the consequences, the widower decides to move to Belgium, but the grief stricken mother will not have her grandchildren live far away from her, so she decides to arrange the marriage of the widower with the younger daughter. The film stars Yiftach Klein (Noodle), and will be photographed by cinematographer Asaf Sudri (Atash-Thirst, FIPRESCI Prize winner at Cannes in 2004). Norma Productions produces.