For those who are inclined to seek their pound of flesh from the extremely pious devotees of religion, director Rama Burshtein's intense dissection of how an Israeli Hasidic family copes with a domestic tragedy, may seem to be a just critique of religious extremism in general. But as a member of such a community, Ms. Burshtein's intent is not to criticize such a community but to show its humanity, warts and all.
'Fill the Void' begins as we're introduced to the larger Hasidic Jewish community during the Festival of Purim. As the Bible says, 'Be fruitful and multiply'; as a result, Hasidic families usually end up having large families. It's a 'Mitzvah' for the head Rabbi to dole out wads of cash to the fathers who are having a hard time trying to pay the bills, given the numbers of children involved. But not all the issues involve economic need; one man complains about his 'mentally ill' wife. The Rabbi's solution: more cash. The man shoves the money back in protest and it's obvious that the head Rabbi's solutions can't always revolve around financial remuneration.
The focus of 'Fill the Void', is the upper middle class Hasidic Mendelman family from Tel Aviv. The father is a kindly man, Rabbi Aharon, who's married to Rifka. The break into the second Act occurs when their 28 year old daughter, Esther, dies in childbirth, after giving birth to a son, Mordechay.
After the funeral, the son-in-law, Yochay, is hesitant to accept an offer to marry a widow in Belgium, and bring the newborn with him to a foreign country. Rifka's solution is to try and convince her surviving 18 year old daughter, Shira, to marry Yochay, and become a good mother to Mordechay.
Shira, a sensitive but tough soul, was expecting to be matched up with a young man her age. The idea that she should shack up with her brother- in-law, is repugnant to her, not only because of the subtle feeling that such an act is incestuous but because she's being robbed of the opportunity of experiencing being a newlywed with a partner who's also going in completely fresh.
While Yochay has his doubts, things become more complicated when Shira insists that an older family friend, Frieda, would be a better match for her brother-in-law. Yochay is insulted but soon comes around to the idea of marrying the much younger Shira, at the strong urging of Shira's mother, Rifka.
The pressure on Shira is subtle but Ms. Burshstein makes it clear that Shira is never forced into anything. When they go before the head Rabbi who asks Shira what are her "feelings" about her pending decision, Shira claims that it's not a "matter" of feelings but rather, a matter of expediency. Quoting the famed Rabbi Nachman, the head Rabbi, calls the wedding off as he realizes Shira's motivations for this marriage are negative. This decision plunges Shira's mother into despair.
Shira eventually changes her tune. One factor is that she finally gets to meet the young man she originally was betrothed to. He turns out to be a complete dud. And then after she meets with Yochay again, he shows her his sensitive side, breaking down over his wife's recent death and trying to cope with all the pressure. Shira eventually changes her mind, recognizing that Yochay is worth shacking up with. Not only is it now for the good of the child but, she will go into this union with genuine affection for her brother-in-law.
Ms. Burshstein paints a portrait of a community that also has its share of outsiders, peripheral characters who must find a way to fit into the insular community, despite having handicaps or flaws. One such character is Rifka's sister, Shira's aunt, who has no arms and never married. We're also introduced to a lonely widow, who interrupts the head rabbi by lamenting that she doesn't know how to choose a suitable oven for her kitchen.
All the performances in 'Fill the Void' are spot on, particularly Hadras Yaron, as the tough as nails teenager, Shira and Yiftach Klein, as the sensitive and thoughtful brother-in-law, Yochay.
Critics of religious fundamentalism may still interpret 'Fill the Void' in their own way. At first glance, the rules by which this community live by, seem awfully restrictive, particularly the way in which children are married off and women can't participate in the rituals, in the same joyous way, the men do. Nonetheless, Ms. Burshtein, through her sensitive story, proves that this community is a lot more open, than the average person gives them credit for.