EYES WIDE OPEN

Israel, 2009, 90 minutes, Colour.
Zohar Strauss, Ran Danker.
Directed by Chaim Tabakman.

It must have been risky to make a film with the help of the Israel Film Commission about the ultraorthodox community in Jerusalem. It must have been even more risky when the theme was homosexuality.

With only a scene at a bathing spring in the hills, the action is confined to a house, a shop, a synagogue and the streets of Jerusalem. Aaron has a butcher's shop there. He has a wife and four children. After the death of his father, he opens the shop again and encounters Ezri, a rather sullen young man, and gives him shelter. While some momentary indications of Ezri's sexual orientation are suggested, Aaron is affected by his presence, puzzled and, despite his attendance at synagogue and Talmud interpretation classes, he does not know what to do.

The neighbours are suspicious of Ezri, gossip about him and Aaron, the hotheads in training with the Rabbi want to declare the butcher's shop non-kosher. Aaron's wife is aware that something is not right.

Aaron goes with his feelings, with his eyes wide open to where he is going.

The film is respectful of Jewish prayer, bible study and Talmud. However, the screenplay raises issues of what God's word says about sin and sexuality, how a person on the verge of sin discovers more about their real self as well as the nature of sin and guilt in the community. While the implication is that the ultraorthodox have fixed and unnuanced ideas, the film does not preach but by telling its story, delving into the feelings and crises of its characters, it asks its audience to reflect.

1.Audience interest in Israel, the ultra-orthodox in Jerusalem, their lifestyle, religious beliefs, principles?

2.The Jerusalem setting, restricted to the house, shop, synagogue, streets? The spring in the hills and the countryside? The score and the Israeli tones?

3.The title, Aaron and his knowing what he was doing, looking at himself, as if into oncoming traffic – the potential for a crash yet fascinated by the movement and the lights?

4.Aaron in the rain, taking down the notice of his father’s death, unlocking the shop, opening it again, his reverence for his father (and later visiting his grave), honouring his father? Continuing his work as a butcher, his skills, the details of the work, the deliveries, cutting up the meat? The range of customers and their requests?

5.Ezri, in the rain, coming into the shop, borrowing the phone, the intimations of broken relationship in his conversation? His needing shelter, Aaron offering him a place, his father’s room? Ezri helping, learning to slice and to serve the meat?

6.The bond between the two men? Aaron and his religious background, his age, strict, going to synagogue, leading prayer, the rituals of entry into the house, of waking up, sexual relationships? Interpreting the Talmud? The hospital? The attraction to Ezri? Touching him when teaching him how to slice? His bleeding? Using time for himself, refusing the rabbi the trip, yet driving him? The local gossip, the hostility? His not taking any notice? Inviting Ezri to his home, to the meal with the family, the introduction to the family? His staying at the shop, coming home for late meals?

7.Ezri, going to the spring, inviting Aaron to go, a situation for change and decision? Ezri stripping, bathing? Aaron hesitant, going into the water, playing around? His decision time?

8.The passion between the two men, the scenes? Aaron and the effect on him, shutting the shop, coming home late, saying to the rabbi that he felt alive? That he needed Ezri?

9.The zealots, their opinions, coming into the shop, the threats, the Talmud students, threatening to say that the meat was not kosher? The rabbi and his attack on them – and Aaron telling the rabbi the truth?

10.Aaron’s wife, the relationship, loving, her reticence, the sexual behaviour, her going to the shop, her puzzling, the boys going to the shop, their results, Aaron’s ambiguous behaviour towards them? Talking with his wife? Her accepting the situation?

11.Sarah, Israel, the rabbi’s disapproval, people’s condemnation, her coming to prayer? The final confrontation at the shop?

12.Ezri and Aaron and their talking, Ezri and his study, prayer, support? His decision to go? Aaron hoping that he would go – and the reasons for this?

13.The situation, Aaron and his self-awareness, religious dimension, principles? The discussions about sin, God, self-awareness through sin?

14.The end, Aaron’s decision, going to the spring, going into the water, immersing himself, not surfacing?

15.Audience response to the characters and themes, understanding, the religious dimension, the common humanity?