Fill The Void

In a plot worthy of Jane Austen, a close-knit Hassidic community in Tel Aviv is plunged into a dilemma when Yochay (Klein), a gentle, serious 30-something husband, loses his wife Esther in childbirth. Esther’s family rally round to care for his tiny son, but for the good of all concerned the local rabbi exhorts him to quickly find a replacement wife. It soon becomes clear that despite awkward blood ties and the age gap, the ideal candidate is Esther’s 18-year-old sister Shira (Yaron), who is betrothed to another man.

In writer-director Burshtein’s remarkable, multi-award-winning debut, the agonising that ensues is handled with confidence, restraint and more than a little wry humour, the telling of the tale also providing a fascinating insight into an orthodox religious culture closed to most outsiders.