Ha-Ushpizin (2004)

Director:

Giddi Dar

Writer:

Shuli Rand (writer)

Release Date:

August 2004 (Israel)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

When you really need a miracle...

Plot:

An Orthodox Jewish couple's faith is tested after praying to the Lord for a child on the Succoth holiday.

Plot Keywords:

Rabbi | Jewish | Jerusalem | Pregnant | Ceremony

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Shuli Rand	...	Moshe
Michal Bat-Sheva Rand	...	Malli Bellanga
Shaul Mizrahi	...	Eliyahu Scorpio
Ilan Ganani	...	Yossef
Avraham Abutboul	...	Ben Baruch
Yonathan Danino	...	Gabai
Rabbi Daniel Dayan	...	The Rabbi
Michael Vaigel	...	Ethrog Assessor
Daniel Rand	...	Elazar
Yizhak Levkovits	...	Charity
Shmuel Ovadia	...	Wolf

Also Known As:

Holy Guests (International: English title) (subtitle)
Ushpizin (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Israel

Language:

Hebrew | Yiddish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Brazil:14 | UK:PG | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Jerusalem, Israel

Trivia:

Shuli Rand had two conditions for making this movie, both were met. The first was that his real-life wife, Michal Bat-Sheva Rand, would play his wife in the film. The second is that in Israel the film would not be screened on the Jewish sabbath.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Narrator: They worked out of luck, out of hope. And faith was all they had to hang on to. But on this holy week, where guests are considered a blessing, these two unexpected visitors bring with them: a secret from the past. A secret that would test their love and challenge their faith. Now only a miracle will turn their fortune around.

Israeli cinema impresses again!

Ushpizin is about a "chozer b'tshuva" (recently religious) Jerusalem couple whose faith is tested repeatedly during the Succot holiday. Will their faith hold as the tests get harder and harder? Will G-d send them the miracles they need? Familiar references spring to mind, from the biblical story of Avraham and Sarah, to traditional tales of shtetl life, to the stories of S.Y. Agnon. Yet the contemporary context makes it a highly original work. The film manages to retain and build dramatic tension. It successfully portrays strong emotions including anger, frustration, love, gratitude, and faith without becoming overly sentimental.

The main couple is played by actors who are married in real life and also religious in real life (he wrote the script). Their love, clearly visible, is one of the nicest parts of the story.

The criminals who come to stay as guests during the holiday ("Ushpizin" in Hebrew) are a bit too cartooned at times, but are not all bad.

It's nice to see a Jerusalem that really exists: a place of material poverty but spiritual wealth, home to an imperfect but caring community that finds meaning in the fulfillment of mitzvahs (commandments).