Hareidi film maker amazed Venice Festival

The Hareidi film maker, Rama Borstein, made double history yesterday in Venice: She's the first Israeli producer whose film is presented in the formal competition of one of the largest and most important festivals in the world, and she is the first hareidi film maker who presents her film outside the hareidi sector.

"To Fill the Space" – her moving and powerful film was screened yesterday in the festival palace in Lero, Venice, and got loud and long applauses, when the crowd stood and applauded her for more than 10 consecutive minutes.

The international media which is reviewing the festival was also curious of Borstein's personal story, a film maker who became a Ba'alas Tshuva immediately after completing her film studies, and became hareidi. "I felt my story interests people and makes them curious" said Borstein to "Yediot Achronot" reporter. "It's very pleasant for me to be here, besides the fact that you can't get kosher food in Liro, I had no problem. It's lucky my husband brought me food from the Jewish ghetto".

Borstein, who walked down the red carpet with her hareidi husband, related that she received Torah instructions how to make the film. "I had to go out on this trip with Torah backing. Someone instructed me." She lives with her husband and children in Tel Aviv, a few streets away from the filming location. She is an alumna of the second cycle of the Jerusalem College for Filming, Sam Spiegel.

"To Fill the space" is the first film which Rama wrote and is producing for the central stream of the movie audience in Israel. At the start of the film, which is produced with the support of the Israeli film Fund, Keren Avichai, Shira Mendleman goes with her mother Rivka (Irit Sheleg) to the local supermarket to "observe" Pinchas, a bochur with whom they want to make her shidduch. Shira is amazed: Not only is Pinchas such an Iluy, he is also so beautiful in her eyes, with his thick glasses and little beard which now started adorning his face.

But then everything goes wrong. Esther (Renana Raz) her older sister, dies during the birth of her son, and leaves behind Yochai her husband and the baby. After a while, Shira tries to find out from her mother regarding her Shidduch, but the latter is busy with her grief. Only after Yochai the widower gets an offer of a shidduch which will force him to move to Belgium with his son – does the mother wake up to action. She is appalled at the idea that she will have to forego her grandson, and decides to make a shidduch for Yochai by giving him her younger daughter.

Yediot Achronot quotes the producer of the film, Asaf Amir: "We are proud to be the partners of Rama Borstein in producing her first film which enables the audience a different and original perspective of the hareidi world. This is an original creation whose production was fascinating thanks to a mixed set of hareidim and secular who worked together with mutual tolerance, honor and attentiveness".

The international critics are praising the film "To Fill the Space". Yediot Achronot reports that "Screen" wrote: "The film is done superbly with dedicated care and expresses love and honor to the figures in it; it will draw big crowds not only because of its interesting ethnographic perspective, but mainly thanks to the exciting and intensive drama which it presents".

The "Hollywood Reporter" also gave compliments: "This is not only a primiére wonderful and complete film, "To Fill the Space" is one of the most exotic entries in the competition of the Venice Festival, and opens a window into the Orthodox world in Tel Aviv".

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!