National Post (National Edition)
Two sides of life in Israeli films
Toronto audiences can catch two Israeli films this week; both had world premières last September at TIFF, though otherwise they could not be less alike.
Past Life, written and directed by Avi Nesher, is based in part on the Holocaust diaries of Baruch Milch, which were published at the turn of the century. Milch, played in the film by Doron Tavory, is a harsh father to Sephi (Joy Rieger), an upand-coming singer.
The story kicks off in 1977 when Sephi is performing at a concert in Berlin, and is approached by an old Polish woman who accuses her father of murder. Back in Israel, she tells the story to her older sister, a journalist. They confront their father, who agrees to tell them his story — but only one chapter at a time. He will rewrite his diary, which he left behind in Poland, and read it to them as he goes.
This isn’t the only literary flourish to Past Life. In fact, the film’s biggest flaw is its bookish construction, with key information doled out through letters and telegrams; and, in one unlikely scene, with the solution to a medical emergency hinging on the discovery of a document in a dusty archive half a world away.
Regardless, the mystery of Milch’s past life makes for an engrossing story, and the performances are top-notch. Particularly compelling is Rafael Stachowiak as a German/Polish composer whose interest in Sephi seems more than merely professional. With his wide-set eyes and pale complexion, he could have a future as a Bond villain if he’s so inclined.
A far less serious story is told in The Women’s Balcony, a comedy written by Shlmot Nehama and directed by feature first-timer Emil Ben-Shimon.
The basic theme is one of religious freedom, although the specifics are unlikely to trouble even the most orthodox believers.
When a balcony in a synagogue collapses during a bar mitzvah, the female congregants have nowhere to pray, and the rabbi is distraught to the point of paralysis over the condition of his wife, who was injured in the accident.
Into this power vacuum strides Rabbi David (Avraham Aviv Alush, who played Jesus in The Shack). He suggests that the collapse may have been God’s way of telling the women to be more modest, and prescribes head scarves all around. When the women balk at this, he helps repair the synagogue, but with a sub-standard women’s section.
It’s interesting to note that the women aren’t demanding to be allowed to pray with the men; they just want their segregated area to be equal to what it once was. And there’s a hint of the Greek classic Lysistrata in the way they band together to convince the weak-willed menfolk they mean business. This being a comedy, there’s also a romantic subplot whose conclusion should surprise no one.
The Women’s Balcony isn’t a great film, but it is an appealing and good-natured farce that the Toronto fest deemed “rebellious and respectful.” And how often can you get both those things in one movie? L’chaim! Past Life ∂∂∂1/2 The Women’s Balcony ∂∂∂
Past Life opens July 14 at Canada Square in Toronto. The Women’s Balcony opens July 14 at the Lightbox.