Eize Makom Nifla

It seemed at one time that all the best roles for Russian immigrant women went to Evelyn Kaplun (and she aced them). I haven't heard of her for much recently-- this movie is 18 years old as I write-- but here we see her as a victim of human trafficking who works as a cleaner in a brothel because she's not pretty enough bring in good money as a prostitute. The film industry as a whole has a problem with female characters who aren't supposed to be pretty. It's afraid the audience won't watch if not all the young women are stunning. So Kaplun's face is supposed to be ruined by a large strawberry mark, but on my HD TV screen I had to squint to see it. Anyway, she is just one major node in a network of characters who wind up interrelated. The many characters are hastily sketched, but in a way that gives the impression that any of a half dozen carry the germ of a separate movie (the film won Israel's annual Best Screenplay award), and the audience is inclined-- at least I am-- to forgive a couple of improbable coincidences in the way the plot serves to assemble them all in a single sprawling story. My powers of concentration aren't at the champion level, but even I had no problem keeping track of who's who and who belongs where. Well, almost no problem.

A great film, with excellent actors. A "mosaic" with a number of plots skilfully joined together (maybe the way they do is a bit unrealistic, but strange things do happen in real life). The topic (the hardship of immigrants' life, prostitution, addiction to gambling etc.) may be off-putting, but surprisingly the filmmakers use it to prove that one can remain humane in inhumane conditions. Even the most likable characters here have their "flaws", which makes them believable. We relate to them and attach to them emotionally - this is why the film "stays" with you long after you leave the cinema. An eye-opener for those who don't care much about all those foreigners from poorer countries who are "mushrooming" in their affluent ones. The problem is I'm not sure if such people would be interested in seeing such a movie, but I do hope so.