Atlantic Jewish Film Festival Opening Night – “The Women’s Balcony” with Special Guest Dr. Sheva Medjuck

Director: Emil Ben-Simon
Producers: Osnat Handelsman-Keren, Talia Kleinhendle
CAST: Orna Banai, Itzik Cohen, Einat Sarouf, Igal Naor, Evelin Hagoel, Aviv Alush, Yafit Asulin
Distributor: Menemsha Films
Country: Israel   Year: 2016   Running Time: 96 minutes
An accident during a bar mitzvah celebration leads to a gender rift in a devout Orthodox community in Jerusalem in this rousing, good-hearted tale about women speaking truth to patriarchal power. When the women’s balcony in an Orthodox synagogue collapses, leaving the rabbi’s wife in a coma and the rabbi in shock, the congregation falls into crisis. Charismatic young Rabbi David appears to be a saviour after the accident, but slowly starts pushing his fundamentalist ways and tries to take control. This tests the women’s friendships and creates a rift between the community’s women and men.

This comedy/drama is about community, old traditions and values, and the power of women to keep all of these together in the face of modern extremism.