In a glorious opening scene Rivka a middle aged Jewish mother and Shira her teenage daughter are pushing a shopping cart around a busy supermarket cruising for men. Not just any men, but a particular one that the Matchmaker has arranged to be available for a ‘viewing’. He’s standing in the cold meats section (although he really belonged with the cold fish), but evidently as far as Hassidic boys go, he’s considered a catch. Shira is desperately keen to get married and if this is her parents choice then she will happily agree.
However before they get to go any further, tragedy strikes the family, and Shira’s older sister dies in childbirth. This puts all thought of marriage on hold as the family focus on helping Yochel the widowed father take care of the motherless child. The Community expect Yochel to remarry quickly, and so very soon he announces he has acquiesced to the idea and has chosen his new bride. The drawback is that the match is to be made in Belgium, which sends Rivka into a panic as she hates the prospect of losing her baby grandson so soon after burying her daughter. Without consulting anyone she proposes to Yosuel that he marries Shira instead so that he family can all stay together in Tel Aviv.
Everyone is against the idea, even Shira’s kindly old Rabbi father who insists that she should not be forced to take her dead sister’s husband if that is not her choice. Rivka is not happy with that decision and insists that they all meet with the Chief Rabbi, Matchmakers, Yosuel’s own family and any leading figure in their Community she can bag, but she is not going to get her own way on this on.
And then in this story that takes great strides to honor without question all the Hassidic traditions and rituals with great respect and reverence, the most unlikely and unexpected thing happens. Yosuel and Shira fall in love, and will marry for the most old-fashioned reason known to nature. (I say ‘unexpected’ but as he is clearly the most handsome man for miles, then this innocent pretty young girl would have been mad to pass up on him!).
This debut film written & directed by newbie Rama Burshtein gives a remarkable insight into the closed Hassidic Community : the scene with the men all around the table celebrating Purim is exceptionally wonderful. But Ms Burshtein sets aside many of my mis-conceived ideas of the Sect by making her characters feisty and challenging individuals fully prepared to question authority and establish their individuality. I was so hooked into how this story played out, and was not only pleased with its final outcome but the journey she took it on to get it there.Highly recommended.
P.S. Should I hang out in ‘Cold Meats’ from now on?
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