Ushpizin

Ushpizin(Guests)


Powerful, touching and amusing, Ushpizin (Guests) is a heartwarming and soul-stirring film. Big hearted Mishe Bellanga (Shuli Rand) is down on his luck, so he and his loving wife Malli (Michal Bat Sheva Rand) pray passionately for a miracle. Their Prayers are answered...in the form of a large sum of money that myseriously lands on their doorstep. But the great "gift" leads to the arrival of two uninvited ushpizin, and Moshe and Malli are left wondering...have they found God's favor or is this just a test of their devotion?

A cinematic fable set in the orthodox Jewish world, Ushpizin follows a poor childless devout man named Moshe (Shuli Rand) and his wife Malli (Michal Bat Sheva Rand, Shuli's real-life spouse) who can't afford a succah, the temporary dwelling required by the Succoth holiday. Suddenly a friend helps them find a succah and an anonymous donation rescues them from debt; Moshe believes the Lord has smiled on him at last and celebrates by buying a particularly beautiful citron (a lemon-like fruit) for the Succoth observations. But when a couple of escaped convicts appear--one of whom knows Moshe from his old neighborhood--they insinuate themselves into Moshe and Malli's hospitality and quickly abuse it, threatening the couple's marriage and testing their faith. Like many Jewish stories, Ushpizin balances an almost fairy-tale story with psychologically real characters (made all the more vivid thanks to the uniformly excellent performances) and complex social conflict. The movie provides a fascinating look into a closed community--though its insider's perspective may seem initially opaque to many viewers, the personalities and conflicts soon become accessible to anyone. A unique, intriguing film. --Bret Fetzer.

Winner of the 2004 Best Actor award at the 2004 Israeli Film Academy for writer-star Shuli Rand, Ushpizin is a heart warming and light hearted look at the daily lives of ultra-Orthodox Jews learning, living and loving in modern-day Israel. Following the story of a family facing hardships, they must rely on their faith for miracles to happen during the holiday season. Inspiring, heartwarming and uplifting, Ushpizin is a critically acclaimed film that regardless of faith or religion, everybody can enjoy.