BROKEN WINGS
Israel, 2002, 87 minutes, Colour.
Orli Zilbershatz- Banai, Maya Maron, Nitai Gvirtz, Vladimir Freedman, Dana Ifgy, Daniel Maygon, Eliana Maygon.
Directed by Nir Bergman.
Broken Wings is a contemporary story set in Israel, in the city of Haifa (the city of the director).
The film opens with a young seventeen-year-old singing a song on the roof of a building near the central railway station. It emerges that she has composed a song, is singing it with her boyfriend. However, all is not easy. When we see her family, she clashes vigorously with her mother. It emerges that her father has died nine months earlier and she blames herself for his being accidentally stung by a bee, being allergic, and not able to withstand the injection. Since then, she has clashed with her mother, her mother being on night shift at the hospital and sleeping during the day. It is September, the opening of the school year, the youngest daughter getting ready to go to kindergarten, the young boy very angry and wanting to break a record by jumping into a dry pool, the oldest boy alienated and dressing up as a mouse, handing out leaflets in the town.
The film focuses on the relationships, the tensions and the various reactions after the death of the father. While the family is middle class, comfortable, and able to sustain itself, it shows itself particularly dysfunctional and unhappy, at times suicidal.
The performances are excellent, especially Orli Silbershatz- Banai as the harassed mother. The young Maya Maron is Maya, the alienated daughter who confronts her mother, runs away to record the song she composed for her father but, in grief, is unable to complete it.
The film relates to most First- World people's lives, people with creature comforts, but still with relationships unresolved, seething angers bursting out, and the need for love and affirmation.
1. The title and its reference to the children of the family? The death of their father, the aftermath, the effect on their growing up?
2. The Haifa settings, the coast, the railway station, hospitals, homes and schools? The streets? The authentic atmosphere and sense of realism? The songs, the lyrics in memory of Maya's father? The musical score?
3. The title and its reference to the children? The harm done by the accidental death? Their not coping? The little girl and her wearing the wings to school? The boy diving and not having wings to save himself? Maya wanting to fly off? The older boy and his girlfriend sitting on the high window - and the possibility of falling without flying?
4. The portrait of the family, the absent father, seeing him in the videos, the basketball, the family's love for him, the ironic nature of his death?
5. The mother, her weariness, clashing with Maya, the fights, pushing the car? Her work at the hospital? The encounters with Valentin? Trying to get to the school for the little girl, on the back of the motorbike, her son's interpretation of this? Weary at home, the accusations that she was sleeping? Trying to do her best? The boy's fall and her reaction, the blaming of Maya? The rush to the hospital, sitting by him, wanting him to wake up, getting Valentin's help, her going to him, lying down beside him? Her slapping her daughter after the insult? At home, the phone call from Maya, going to get her, lifting her, their having to thumb a lift? The reconciliation between the two? Her joy at hearing the boy had woken up? The family together, the possibilities after this crisis for better relationships?
6. Maya, age, the death of her father, blaming herself? The song, antagonism towards her mother? With her little sister, taking her to school, with her boyfriend, forgetting to pick her up, the consequences?
7. Maya hurrying to the hospital, insulting her mother, the slaps? Cutting her hair, getting the train, going to the recording studio after turning it down, the confrontation with her boyfriend? Singing the song, watching the executive talking in loving terms to her little child, so often? Tears, the return? Ringing her brother, her mother listening, being rescued by her mother, pushing the car and hitchhiking? The reconciliation?
8. The little girl, her dependence on her mother, wanting her to be with her to take her to school? At home, not wanting to cross the road for her brother, going to the swimming pool, the video? Running home, the disaster? Learning to go to school and grow up?
9. The boy, his angers, at home, surly, pretending his sister had wet the bed? Wanting her to cross the street, the diving, the coma? His coming to? The reconciliation?
10. The older brother, not getting up, not wanting to go to school dressing as a mouse, giving out the leaflets? Clashes with his girlfriend? Alienation? With the school counsellor and his needing psychiatric treatment? His not going to school, his meeting Iris, basketball, the classroom, sitting naked on the windowsill? The relationship with her? His not being home, going to the hospital, watching the videos, supporting his mother, trying to wake his brother up? The possibility of settling down?
11. The doctor, his being in California, bumping into the mother, giving her a lift, her dependence on his advice - a possible relationship?
12. The boyfriend, singing with Maya, his making demands of her, at the recording?
13. The school, the counsellor, her interviews?
14. A slice of life in contemporary Israel - just within the family and the city (with no relationship or reference to any of the political clashes at the time)?
