Fill the Void
| Fill the Void | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Rama Burshtein |
| Produced by | Assaf Amir |
| Written by | Rama Burshtein |
| Starring |
Hadas Yaron Chaim Sharir Ido Samuel Irit Sheleg Yiftach Klein Hila Feldman |
| Music by | Yitzhak Azulay |
| Cinematography | Asaf Sudry |
| Edited by | Sharon Elovic |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics (US) |
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Release date
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Running time
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90 minutes |
| Country | Israel |
| Language | Hebrew |
| Box office | $2.4 million |
Fill the Void (Hebrew: למלא את החלל - lemale et ha'ḥalal) is a 2012 Israeli drama film written and directed by Rama Burshtein. It focuses on life among the Haredi Jewish community in Tel Aviv, Israel. Hadas Yaron stars as Shira Mendelman, an 18-year-old girl who is pressured to marry her older sister's husband following the death of her sister in childbirth.
The film required a lengthy production period, taking over a year for the casting to be completed and another year and three months for editing. Burshtein, who was doubtful as to how much of the process would be completed, took a step-by-step approach, focusing first on the writing, then on accumulating enough funding for the project, followed by the filming and editing. Burshtein became the first Orthodox Jewish woman to direct a film intended for wide distribution. The film premiered at the 69th Venice Film Festival on 1 September 2012 and was later released in the United States on 24 May 2013.
Fill the Void was well received by critics for its depiction of Orthodox Jews and their lifestyle. It won seven Israeli Academy Awards, and lead actress Hadas Yaron won Best Actress for her portrayal of Shira at the Venice Film Festival.
Shira Mendelman, an 18-year-old Hasidic girl living in Tel Aviv, is looking forward to an arranged marriage with a young man whom she likes. However, on Purim, her family suffers a tragedy when Shira's older sister Esther dies in childbirth. Shira's father subsequently delays the engagement so as not to have to deal with an empty house so soon after Esther's death. Esther's husband, Yochay, begins to regularly bring their son, Mordechai, to the Mendelman's house, where Shira cares for him.
One day, Yochay's mother approaches Shira's mother, Rivka, about the possibility of Yochay remarrying, believing it to be best for Mordechai. She plans to suggest an offer from a widow in Belgium. Rivka is distraught by the idea of Mordechai being taken out of the country and suggests that Yochay marry Shira instead. He and Shira both initially oppose the prospect, though he eventually warms to it and she agrees to take it into consideration on learning that her previous engagement has been called off due to her father's delays.
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Wikipedia