Review by Vinoo
Language : Hebrew / Yiddish
Director : Giddi Dar
Moshe Bellanga and Malli are an orthodox Jewish couple, married for over five years but still childless. During the seven days of the ‘Sukkot’ they decide to be on a state of temporary deprivation and at the same time extend hospitality to guests (Ushpizin*) as the ritual demands : ‘You will dwell in booths for seven days; all natives of Israel shall dwell in booths. -Leviticus 23:42’. Moshe Bellanga and Malli are broke and they offer prayers as only a miracle can save them. And lo! Their prayers are seemingly answered and they become the beneficiary of a church fund-raising and also find an abandoned ‘Sukkot’(temporary dwelling). Truly the gods have been benevolent. All of a sudden two guests, Eliyahu and Yossef who are on parole, come visiting. Malli believes it is a test by the gods. The only problem is, Eliyahu knows Moshe Bellanga from his past and refuses to believe he has turned a new leaf. They stay on as guests and pile on the misery on Moshe Bellanga and Malli. Moshe hides from Malli the criminal record of his friends from the past. Malli leaves him when she figures Moshe has been lying to her all the while. His friends Eliyahu and Yossef figure that their friend, Moshe, is indeed a changed man and he even protects them from the police. Finally, all is well that ends well as Malli returning to tell Moshe Bellanga that she is pregnant. Nahman is born and festivities follow.
I am not a great fan of films on religion but Ushpizin is simply brilliant. With its humorous take on the lives of ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel, it gives a peek into the culture and makes you want to know more, be it on the ‘Citron’ or the other small details about the ritual. The film is pieced together from normal daily routines. Thanks to a good friend for lending me this rare film.
Also revisited Sam Mendes, ‘American Beauty’ and Aki Kaurismaki’s ‘Laitakapungin Valot’ (‘Lights in the dusk’). Both brilliant.
I am off to IFFK, Trivandrum, where I hope to watch John Abraham’s ‘Amma Ariyan’, G Aravindan’s ‘Uttarayanam’ among other films by the masters of World Cinema. Here is the entire list of films: http://iffk.in/index.php?page=films
Useless trivia : Shuli Rand, the writer, who also plays Moshe Bellanga had set the director Giddi Dar two conditions : The film should not be screened on the Jewish Sabbath and that Michal Bat-Sheva Rand, his real-life wife would play his wife, Malli Bellanga, in the film. Both of which were met J. Both of them have put in a brilliant performance in this film.
Shuli Rand stopped acting after he turned religious. He returned to acting only for this film.
* Ushpizin literally means ‘Sukkot guests’ or ‘Holy guests’ in Aramaic. ‘Sukkot’ is the ‘Feast of Booths / Feast of Tabernacles’ and lasts seven days. It is to signify the 40 years of wandering during the Exodus from Egypt when Israelites lived in dwellings that were very basic. As part of the festivities Jews are supposed to buy ‘arba minim’ or the four species : Lulav, the closed frond of a Date palm, Hadass from Myrtle tree, Aravah from Willow tree, Etrog or the fruit, Citron. Purchasing a Citron is supposed to be ‘Segulah’ or good-luck for couples seeking a child. For more on the ‘Sukkot’ read on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot
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