Fill the Void

It’s not common for a first-time filmmaker to explore cultural depths and mores quite as much as Rama Burshtein does in Fill the Void. Think of it as a Jane Austen novel unfolding in an orthodox Jewish community in modern Tel Aviv. Burshtein’s film first gained attention when star Hadas Yaron picked up an acting award at the Venice Film Festival in September. And no wonder: this is an unenviable position for a character to be in. She is asked to heal her broken family and care for the newborn child and grieving husband her late sister suddenly left behind. The obligation is indeed something to wrestle with, and merely by introducing a more traditional solution to a contemporary audience, Burshtein invites a lot of introspection. Yaron does her fair share, too, giving a captivating performance that never lets on if this is a tragedy or a love story.