And Thou Shalt Love | |
Director: | Chaim Elbaum |
Producer: | Pazit Lichtman |
Starring: | Uri Lachmi Omer Zonenshein |
Runtime: | 29 minutes |
Country: | Israel |
Language: | Hebrew |
And Thou Shalt Love (Hebrew: ואהבת, translit. V'ahavta) is an Israeli short film. It was directed by Chaim Elbaum. The film examines the difficulties of being both an Orthodox Jew and gay. The story is based on Elbaum's experiences with being gay.
It won the best drama award at the 2008 Jerusalem Film Festival.
Ohad, the protagonist, is serving in the Israel Defense Forces as a Hesder student. He has not told anyone that he is gay. He tries various ways of dealing with the conflict between his religious beliefs and his sexual orientation, including Atzat Nefesh. He is told to spend forty days fasting and repenting to help rid him of his homosexual inclinations. He does this and believes himself to be cured.
After this, his best friend, Nir, returns from leave. Ohed is torn between his homosexuality and his religion. The film deals with the struggles Ohed faces when it comes to loving God and loving Nir.
Actor | Role | |
---|---|---|
Ohad | ||
Omer Zonenshein | Nir | |
The Rabbi | ||
Itzik Haikeh | Benni | |
Yariv Kook | The voice of Menachem | |
Sigalit Ya'akobi | The voice of the woman |