TEHILIM
Israel, 2007, 96 minutes, Colour.
Michael Moshonov, Limor Goldstein, Yonathan Alster, Shmuel Vilojni, Ilan Dar.
Directed by Raphael Nadjari.
The content of this film is more interesting than the way it is communicated. We observe rather than becoming engaged with characters and issues.
The film has a religious background, Tehilim being the name for the Psalms. We focus on a quite orthodox family (although the mother is from a secular Jewish background). The father and the older son attend classes and study the scriptures. Rituals are kept in the house. (Although the teenage boy who is at the centre of the film goes out at night removing his yamulka when at clubs with his friends.)
After a car accident with his two sons, the father simply disappears. Tehilim is about how the rest of the family deal with the disappearance. The mother is thought to be to concerned about the material consequences by the father’s brother and father who are devout, not taking her grief into account. This influences the two boys who find a way of giving out books of Psalms to the public so that they will pray for their father. This provokes a crisis with grandfather and uncle.
While the film offers an exploration of a religious family, the kind of religion they practice is very formal: lessons, rituals, prayers, discussion. There is no outflow from their beliefs and practices into the quality of their daily lives, making religion either cerebral or superficial. One would like to be more engaged and to learn more about the religious implications of this orthodox family.
1.The impact of the film for an Israeli audience? The various stances in Judaism, Reform and Orthodoxy? For non-Jewish audiences?
2.Jerusalem City, the streets, the hills, the buildings, homes, the Yeshivah? Authentic? The musical score? The chants?
3.The title of the film, the reference to the Psalms? The importance of the Psalms for every aspect of daily life, Orthodox Jews and their praying the Psalms? The giving out of the books of Psalms with the markers, the money to get people to pray for the man who disappeared?
4.The presentation of the Jews in this sector of Jerusalem? Orthodox, the men and their studying of Talmud? The nature of prayer? The issue of which direction to pray in? The lectures of the rabbi? The responses of the men? Father and son and their going? The grandfather and his continual prayer and study? The uncle? The blessings, the rituals of Shabbat? The details presentation of the rituals?
5.These Orthodox Jews and their religion: cerebral, study, prayer, the exact rituals? But the love and happiness of God not being manifested in their ordinary lives?
6.The family, the father and his work, relationship with his wife, children? Cooking? Inviting family to Shabbat? The discussions with his two sons? Driving them to school, the strangeness in the driving, passing the school, crashing? His getting Menachem to get help? His disappearance? The arrival of the police, the questions, the aftermath? The procedures, the search, his being declared a missing person?
7.His wife, a secular Jew? Under suspicion from the more religious members of the family? Love for her husband, her children? Her grief, her focus on the material aspects, the need for money, social security? The reassurances? Her having money in the tin in the kitchen? Her wanting to be alone, sending her husband’s family away, their taking it ill? Menachem trying to apologise? Her love for her sons, their going off to be with their grandfather without telling her, her being upset? The issue of taking her money? At the end, with the young boy sleeping, forgiving the older boy?
8.The boys, their age, discussions, bonding, fights? At home, asleep, the meals? Going to school, their arguing in the car? The young boy being injured and in hospital? Menachem going to seek help?
9.The film’s focus on Menachem, his age, irritating and irritable schoolboy? His relationship with Deborah, bonding with her, wanting to go into her home, her not letting him because of her father? Later not wanting to be with her, his harsh breaking of the relationship, her walking with him, after getting the friends together? His change of heart, going to see her father, her father forbidding him to come in?
10.His behaviour, not going to school, clashes with his brother? The discovery of the money? The younger brother, earnest, seeing what was wrong with his older brother? Telling him about the money? The Sabbath and their going to their uncle’s, getting the books of Psalms, taking them, giving them out in the street – and the reaction of the grandfather, that this was not sacred? Their disobedience?
11.The repercussions for them, Menachem and his failing, his apology to his mother, her forgiveness?
12.The disappearance of the father – and his not being found? The official document that he was a missing person?
13.The Israeli issues, the religious issues, the human issues? How interestingly done? For an audience which understands – for the broader audience?
