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JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (JIFF) 2023
OPENING NIGHT FILM
MATCHMAKING

MATCHMAKING is an eye-opening, charming Romeo and Juliet story sans a tragic ending within Israel's ultra-Orthodox community. A 2023 Israeli box office success, this modern-day romantic dramedy from director Erez Tadmor delivers an insightful exploration of the Jewish matchmaking tradition with a dose of social critique.

www.jiff.com.au

Moti Bernstein (Amit Rahav) is the ultimate Ashkenazi catch. By Jewish culture, this young, handsome yeshiva student is being paired in Israel’s hotel lobbies with other eligible Ashkenazi women through his persistent matchmakers Malki (Irit Kaplan) and her deputy Baruch (Maor Schwitzer). However, Moti is only interested in his sister’s best friend, Nechama (Liana Ayoun), who is from a Moroccan Mizrahi family. Although Nechama is quite pretty and presentable, she is from a Sephardic Middle Eastern origin and is not within the same level as the Ashkenazi European origin Moti.

At its heart, the film celebrates love against prejudice and societal expectations as Moti fakes a disability of blindness to lower his Ashkenazi rank so he can be paired with Sephardic Nechama. With a heavy heart, Moti’s parents allow the pairing to happen, but only because he is now blind. Moti follows his heart, challenging the age-old division between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi families. There is strong chemistry between Rahav and Ayoun, and their believable performances are supported by a solid, well-directed cast, including Kaplan and Schwitzer.

Fast-paced comedy and drama are skillfully meshed in each scene, with the most heartbreaking moment captured when a distraught Nechama confronts Moti’s parents on their views and expectations for their son. Yiddish phrases and cultural references enrich the film, providing an authentic glimpse into the traditions and customs of the Orthodox Jewish community. Tadmor expertly handles the complexities and biases of matchmaking in Israeli society, going beyond the surface while exploring love, tolerance and societal prejudices. With its stellar casting, wit and insightful commentary, the film reminds us that true love transcends one’s origins.

It was a great opening night film for this year’s Jewish International Film Festival at the Randwick Ritz cinemas.

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Picture of Rolmar Baldonado

Rolmar Baldonado

Films for the cineaste. Were you moved, transported? Did you laugh, cry? Was it cathartic? Were you disturbed, affected, riveted? Did it make you think? Freelance film editor, cineaste and cinephile Twitter: @film_critik Twitter: @rolmar Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/filmcritik/

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