Ushpizin
| Ushpizin | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gidi Dar |
| Produced by | Gidi Dar Rafi Bukai |
| Written by | Shuli Rand |
| Starring | Shuli Rand Michal Bat-Sheva Rand Shaul Mizrahi Ilan Ganani |
| Music by | Nathaniel Méchaly |
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Release date
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Running time
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90 minutes |
| Country | Israel |
| Language | Hebrew |
Ushpizin (Hebrew האושפיזין) (lit. "the Sukkot guests", from Aramaic ushpizin אושפיזין "guests") is a 2004 Israeli film directed by Gidi Dar and written by Shuli Rand. It starred Rand, and his wife, Michal, who had never acted before.
Moshe and Mali Bellanga are an impoverished, childless, Hasidic baal teshuva ("returnees to Judaism") couple in the Breslov community in Jerusalem. After Moshe is passed over for a stipend he expected, they cannot pay their bills, much less prepare for the upcoming Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Moshe admires a particularly beautiful etrog, or citron, one of the four species required for the holiday observance. They console themselves by recalling a saying of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov that difficult times are a test of faith. After some anguished prayer, they receive an unexpected monetary gift on the eve of the holiday and Moshe buys the etrog for 1000 shekels (approx. $300), a large sum of money that is much more than he can afford.
The couple is visited by a pair of escaped convicts, one of whom knew Moshe in his earlier, non-religious life. The convicts become their guests (ushpizin) in the sukkah, creating many conflicts and straining Moshe and Mali's relationship.
Ushpizin was filmed on location in Jerusalem, Israel. While a few scenes were shot in Haredi neighbourhoods, most of the film was shot at the Schneller Orphanage and in Jerusalem's Nachlaot neighbourhood. Several streets in Nachlaot feature frequently in the film: Rama Street (where Ben-Baruch meets Moshe and offers him the Sukkah, and where Moshe and Malli part), Zichron Tuvyah (where Moshe's Yeshiva is located) and Tavor Street, while others appear less frequently or even in single shots. The stone buildings of Nachlaot substitute for the Shmuel Hanavi area, though landmarks such as the Wolfson Towers and the Yad Labanim building reveal the true location.
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