New Israeli Film Deals With Haredi Sexuality

Eyes Wide Open seen as breaking new ground in the depiction of haredim in film.

New York Times review.

[Hat Tips: Joel Katz, CS.]

Comments

[BaltimoreYid]

Back when I was a student at Aish HaTorah we used to call it "a lttle pushy in the tushy." Homosexuality was practiced by several talmidim there. I personally didn't care but talk about risky behavior.

[MalachHamovies]

Wow !! It's really shocking. No, i don't mean the relationship between the butcher and his worker. But that a young charedei man should be depicted as working.

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

Tinkerbell is in this movie? Their defrosting Walt Disney this very minute.

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

They're not Their

/more coffee please

[harold]

Ok, nice, I think I'll pass.

With what I saw in the trailer I think I can connect the dots.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Black hat is the new black.

[Yisroel Pensack]

"...Film Deals With Haredi Homosexuality" would be an accurate headline. What you are running is a deceptive, dishonest "gay rights" propaganda headline that equates homosexuality with heterosexuality.

[effie]

MalachHamovies: LOL

[Dr. Moe]

They could join beis simchas Torah in new York city a frum gay shul.

[Alex]

Sex before marriage. This is totally unacceptable.

[wink at the bal koreh]

As a gay frum Jew this trailer brought me to tears and I can't say that about any movie trailer I have ever seen and I am sixty two.

[Yoel Mechanic]

Broke Back Mountain for Frummies?

[steve]

"Brokeback Mikveh"

[Sarah K]

Dr. Moe:
Just FYI, CBST in NYC is an interesting shul where a few of my friends attend services in the Episcopal Church in Chelsea where CBST davens but the rabbis and the members are far from frum.

[Yoel Mechanic]

Based on the trailer, there is actually something extremely disturbing about this movie. No, it isn't the topic. It is the implication that this is about the only socially dramatic stuff that might go on in the frum scene. There ought to be many topics of serious drama in the frum world. It isn't the existence of this film that is disturbing, but lack of all the other sorts life dramas. Is the frum world so boring?

[steve]

Yoel,

A film about child sexual abuse and coverups in the frum community would be more powerful and relevant. There was an American low budget film released a few years ago called "Narrow Bridge" which dealt with it. They need to come out with a major film release.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Sex during Jewish marriage. That is totally unacceptable.

[Bill]

Yoel,

Yes.

[isha chazaka]

Based on the trailer, not the whole film, I get the strong impression that this film is totally unrealistic. What haredi man in his right mind would risk such a huge financial and social disaster for himself and his family? The least he could do is to keep his desires firmly under the sheets where they belong, not out in a ma'ayan or on the street! forshame, he should know better than that! he has four kids@ any father would know the implications.
So as lovely as is the idea that haredi lust is breaking out into the open, I think that in reality people just have to keep it under wraps as much as they can.

[Israel Moskovits]

Steve,

This is Israel Moskovits, the creator of the film "Narrow Bridge". It is still awaiting distribution and there are no takers. It would be nice for a film about sexual abuse in the frum community to get some mainstream attention. If not my film, then another that would bring this important issue out into the public. It is still something that people are far to complacent about, and that is a shame. How did you come to hear about "Narrow Bridge", by the way?

[Dr. Dave]

brokeback mikveh?

Yankel Twist: I wish I knew how to quit shtupping you.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Broke Back Mountain Dew

[steve]

Israel,

I only saw the trailer of your film and I was extremely moved. That scene where the rabbi makes a move towards the child in the front seat of his car, made me shake and brought me to tears. I'm sorry I missed the screening when it was shown in NY. The crime of child sexual abuse and its acceptance amongst Orthodox Jewish leadership needs to be exposed for the whole world to see. I am not sure if your movie deals with the enabling aspect. The crimes that are being committed by so-called rabbis that advoctate coverups and not going to the police are no less heinous than the actions of the molesters.

[Jay]

tzebrokeneh beck berg (mountain)?

Oy, mendeleh, stuff meineh kishke,
fill mein pulsing pushkeh...

Once you go feigeleh, you won't want Faigie no more!

[Betzalel]

I liked the movie Uzhpesin, a real kiddush Hashem.

This appears to me to be just plain dishonest, going into Mea Shearim and filming it under false pretenses.

[Chicago Sam]

Looks like a great movie about a hidden social reality the Haredi rabbis have tried to keep under-cover.

[Chicago Sam]

I have one little complaint--the Haredim in real life would never speak Hebrew but Yiddish.

[jay]

Ushpizin was a kiddush hashem? a film about a man who spends most of his time wandering the streets, doesn't work, doesn't even learn enough in his yeshiva to get a stipend and blows a huge chunk of his limited funds on an etrog? That's an interesting way of evaluating the life experience of an indigent hasid.

[Jack Ass]

Israel, find out how they got the movie "Doubt" any traction and go the same route. BTW, a full featured movie financed by the big guns in Hollywood called "Mondrowitz - For g-d's sake" will be a block buster to beat the Titanic. And plenty of actual victims out there to consult or model the story after. Start with a survivor at the grave of one who commited suicide and it'll develop a life of its own. Sad part of it you don't have to make up shit. It's all real life drama and like a train wreck, is what the public loves to see. Intense and a tear jerker.

[Yerachmiel Lopin]

jack ass,

Yes, Mondrowitz would make a great docudrama. The nice thing is it could cover the full gamut of enabling and coverup from the Gerrer Rebbe to the Brooklyn DA.

[Chayim]

By trying to advocate homosexuality it will only lead to molestation of more victims. Once you legitimize this terrible sin why not have incest,beastiality and marrying of dead bodys as well.The movie uspeizen was a beautiful movie and thats why it did so well. Many secular Jews I spoke to were very impressed with Uspeizen.

[Laurel]

Israel,

Can't you somehow "self-distribute" it? Direct Market it through the internet? I'd mos def want to see it and I'm sure many more across the globe would as well.

[Yakira]

Israel,
I agree with Laurel, I would also love to see your movie. I'm sure it would help to open many people's eyes all over the world about some of the things that go on in some frum communities.

[Abracadabra]

Israel Moskovits -

I, along with others here (see above) would very much like to see your film "Narrow Bridge".

I would suggest going to the Jewish and frum advocacy organizations (for sexual abuse of minors) and start showing the film at presentations that they could sponsor.

Also, there was a documentary about frum homosexuals a few years ago which gained a lot of attention by being shown by Jewish and frum mental health organizations and other Jewish organizations. Maybe find out how that guy got his film out there.

Now, after Boruch Leibovits was sentenced, there is more attention and admittance about the problem. There is a LONG way to go, but even the AGUDAH (!) endorsed a letter for camps to send to parents, warning of the dangers during the coming summer camp season. This might be a good time to hop on board and get the Jewish/Frum Advocacy organizations to sponsor some showings of "Narrow Bridge".

If you do get it going, please publicize it here on this website, as you can see - many readers are interested.

[PE treatment]

This looks incredible. Anyone know where a copy can be obtained?