Eyes Wide Open

An ultra-orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem is the setting for a highly unusual sexual encounter in Haim Tabakman's Israeli drama. The central character is Aaron (Zohar Strauss), a taciturn butcher—quietly devoted to his wife and four young children—who is also a pillar of the deeply religious community. But when a handsome young stranger named Ezri (Ran Danker) appears at Aaron's shop, searching for a man with whom he'd previously been involved, the meat-cutter abruptly offers him a place to stay and a job as his assistant. After some soulful glances and gentle touches—as well as a dip in a nearby pond—the two men begin to have an affair. Their relationship quickly attracts the attention of some self-appointed moral arbiters, forcing Aaron to choose between his lover and the demands of his neighbors, who are depicted as insular, judgmental, and unforgiving. Tabakman uses the almost claustrophobic ambience of the Jerusalem streets to create an atmosphere in which the viewer feels as trapped as the characters in this deliberately paced and solemn drama about narrow-mindedness and intolerance. Recommended. (F. Swietek)