Broken Wings

In terms of its plot, writer-director Nir Bergman's debut feature, about a grief-stricken family struggling to cope with the loss of a husband and father, resembles a typical bathetic telefilm, regardless of the fact that the language is Hebrew and the setting is Israel (Haifa, specifically). Yet, while Broken Wings may superficially resemble the tearjerkers that proliferate on American television, it's saved from mawkishness and manipulation by heartfelt writing and strong performances from an ensemble cast. Orly Zilberschatz-Banai is remarkable as Dafna, the sad-faced widow who's exhausted by the demands of her nursing job and unable to cope with the distress (exhibited in varying ways) of her four children. Maya Maron is equally effective as her eldest daughter, an aspiring singer who feels responsible for her father's death and overwhelmed by the new family duties required of her. The central question explored here is whether the troubled characters can pick up the shattered pieces of their former life, and Bergman successfully tackles this issue with poignancy. Recommended. (F. Swietek)