Song of Songs (2005)

Devoutly religious Ruth returns from Israel to care for her dying mother, but when she tries to bring her estranged brother David back into the fold, in accordance with her mother's wishes,... See full summary »

Director:

Josh Appignanesi

Writers:

Josh Appignanesi, Jay Basu

Stars:

Amber Agha, Nick Atkinson, Tamara Barnett-Herrin

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amber Agha	...	Tanya (as Amber Agar)
Nick Atkinson	...	Broadcaster (voice)
Tamara Barnett-Herrin	...	Abigail's Friend (voice)
Amanda Boxer	...	Rachel Silverbaum
Chai	...	Eager Student
Joel Chalfen	...	David Cohen
Michael Colgan	...	Male Journalist (voice)
Félicité Du Jeu	...	Abigail
Philip Dunbar	...	Isaac
Sue Kelvin	...	Orna Laitner
Elliot Levey	...	Gideon (as Elliot Levy)
Leon Lissek	...	Rabbi Berg
Stavros Louca	...	Masked Hulk
Allan McTaggart	...	Man on Towpath
Justine Mitchell	...	Laura

Storyline

Devoutly religious Ruth returns from Israel to care for her dying mother, but when she tries to bring her estranged brother David back into the fold, in accordance with her mother's wishes, the result is a startling journey into the darkest realms of sexual obsession: a forbidden game under the guise of religious law. Dark, ambiguous and distinctly adult, this study of belief and desire, set in the cloistered world of London's Orthodox Jewish community, thoughtfully explores the links between faith and violence, denial and longing.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English Hebrew

Release Date:

10 February 2006 (UK)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wild Horses Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"La niña de las flores"
Performed by Yasmin Levy

User Reviews

Mysterious, enigmatic, and engrossing.

This look inside London's world of orthodox Jews, and the near incestuous relationship between a half-mad, half-brilliant iconoclastic young Jewish scholar, and his equally intelligent but repressed sister is never less than interesting.

With the pressure added by their mother dying slowly in her room, there's a feeling of a pot always about to boil over.

The acting is very good, especially Natalie Press.

But the film's end feels like it tries to wrap things up a little too neatly, explaining the family's complex, fractured psyche in a way that felt like a bit of a come down, not a revelation.

None-the-less, a very interesting first film, and one I'd watch again.