As one of the more unapologetically contentious films that I have seen as of recent, Fill the Void follows the story of a an 18 year-old Orthodox Israeli as she works to find her place in her society. The clearly defined gender roles and arranged marriages aren't something that director Rama Burshtein is seeking to question; they are matter of factly used to progress the story to its end. This clear look into a culture I know very little of is extremely enlightening, and it's very clear that the film seeks to tell a story, not challenge cultural norms.
Shira, the 18 year-old focus of the film, is a woman whose family is seeking to arrange her marriage. Her older sister dies under extremely unfortunate circumstances, leaving a newborn son and a widower, Yochay. When the bereaved Yochay begins to search for a new wife, the family struggles to come to terms with the potential loss of the baby while still attempting to be supportive. Shira's mother moves covertly and works to arrange a marriage between Shira, her remaining daughter, and Yochay, the mourning son-in-law. Fill the Void becomes a bit of a coming-of-age tale as Shira works to become more self-aware and less of the wide-eyed innocent girl who began the matchmaking process.
Shot predominantly indoors, the variety of camera angles and shot styles helps keep the film feeling fresh while moving the story forward. The performances, particularly from Hada Yaron (Shira), are on-point with the film. The story may not seem that ground-breaking since it's essentially about a girl deciding between what her family wants and what she wants, but the treatment given to both it and the film by director Rama Burshtein, as well as the intimate look into such a typically closed-off culture, is what makes Fill the Void unique.
