Fill the Void ( - 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 Haredi 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 Haredi 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.
Plot
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. However, she had hoped for a younger husband; her dream was of someone who would discover married life for the first time together with her.
Shortly afterwards, Frieda, a friend of Esther who has never received any marriage proposals, tells Shira that Esther would have preferred that Yochay marry her in the event of her death. As a result, Shira tells Yochay that Frieda is more suitable, which he takes as an affront.
Shira and Yochay remain distant from one another afterwards, and he announces that he plans to move with Mordechai to marry the widow in Belgium. Shira, pressured by her family, agrees to go forward with the engagement to Yochay, believing it to be the best scenario for everyone. However, the rabbi realizes that Shira is half-hearted, and he refuses to condone the marriage.
Time passes, and Shira eventually concludes that she was meant to be with Yochay and his baby. She approaches the rabbi and asks again that she and Yochay be married, and he agrees this time. The film closes with their wedding.
Cast
Hadas Yaron as Shira Mendelman
Chaim Sharir as Aharon Mendelman
Ido Samuel as Yossi Mendelman
Irit Sheleg as Rivka Mendelman
Yiftach Klein as Yochay Goldberg
as Freida
Razia Israeli as Aunt Hanna
as Esther Goldberg
Yael Tal as Shiffi
Michael David Weigl as Shtreicher
Neta Moran as Bilha
Melech Thal as Rabbi
Production
Writing and themes
Fill the Void was written and directed by Rama Burshtein, who, in the course of its production, became the first Haredi Jewish woman to direct a film intended to be viewed outside of the Haredi community. In doing so, she hoped to create a greater understanding of the Haredi community, in part by dispelling the common misconceptions that women are often forced into arranged marriages; despite the differences in structure, the woman is always given the final say in whom she marries. Burshtein also deliberately avoided depicting a divide between the religious and secular Jews, a theme that commonly appears in films about the Haredim. She explained: