Dov Steuer Movies
A man who acknowledges a side of himself he's kept hidden for decades must decide between love, loyalty, and faith in this drama from filmmaker Haim Tabakman set in Jerusalem. Aaron (Zohar Strauss) is an orthodox Jew in his mid-thirties who helps run a kosher butcher shop opened by his father. Aaron is married to Rivka (Ravit "Tinkerbell" Rozen) and they have four sons, but he often feels something is missing from his life. One day, a 19-year-old yeshiva student, Ezri (Ran Danker), stops by the shop; when Aaron learns Ezri is homeless, he offers to make the youngster his apprentice and gives him a room. Aaron and Ezri strike up a fast friendship, but in time their feelings become deeper, and during a communal bath they act on the desires that have been growing between them. Aaron finds himself torn between his loyalty to his family and his growing love for Ezri, and his dilemma becomes even more pointed when Rabbi Vaisben (Tzahi Grad) asks him to join him in his "Purity Police" group, who pay threatening visits to people in the community who are falling short in the eyes of the congregation. Einaym Pkuhot (aka Eyes Wide Open) was an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened as part of the "Un Certain Regard" program. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ran Danker, Tzahi Grad, (more)
The sophomore feature of Israeli director Joseph Pitchhadze, Besame Mucho is a meditation on the nature of love. Set mainly at night in Tel Aviv, the film revolves around a group of characters who are all loosely connected to the theft of a Christian icon from an international crime organization. Besame Mucho was screened at the 2000 Jerusalem Film Festival. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- Carmel Betto, Eli Danker, (more)
- 1997
Loosely based on a 1914 play by S. Ansky, this elaborate, ambitious, and unnerving fantasy from Israeli writer-director Yossi Somer juxtaposes a Romeo and Juliet romantic tragedy with a modernized tale of a "Dybbuk," a mischievous spirit from Yiddish folklore capable of releasing repressed desires in innocent young girls. The story focuses on the ill-fated romance between Hanan (Yehzekel Lazarov) and Lea (Ayelet Zurer) who, though promised for marriage by their families, are torn apart by the rift between their fathers' social and religious backgrounds. After attempts to win the favor of Lea's Orthodox father, Hanan joins a yeshiva and begins an intensive study of the enigmatic and complex mysticism of the Kabbalah, leading to surreal visions revealing his true spiritual link to Lea, his soulmate. Spurred by this newfound wisdom, Hanan renews his passionate pursuit of Lea... and not even death can prevent him from fulfilling his destiny. Equal parts supernatural horror, classic romance, and political allegory, this one-of-a-kind film is certain to provoke strong reactions from viewers, who will either be overwhelmed by its shocking imagery or mesmerized by its intricate, multi-layered storytelling. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ayelet Zurer, Yehezkel Lazarov, (more)
- 1997
The winner of the 1995 Jerusalem Film Festival, this political thriller centers on a young hero who returns to Israel from Berlin to ostensibly attend the funeral of his father, a convicted Russian spy. Instead he learns that the death was a ruse and that he is to be the bait in an elaborate scheme to catch his father, who has just escaped from prison. When the son learns the truth, he enters the desert to search for his father. He is assisted by a beautiful young actress. They are constantly followed by a pair of determined cops. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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