VJFF tackles the laws of purity

Some women consider it uplifting, others see it as restricting. Some believe it brings couples closer emotionally, others see it as the reason some couples never have children. Whatever the view, taharat hamishpachah – the laws governing family purity – are a source of constant debate and are now the focus of Anat Zuria's film Purity, one of the more controversial films to be shown at this year's Vancouver Jewish Film Festival.

At the centre of this discussion is nidda, a period of about two weeks where a woman is considered unclean, due to monthly bleeding, and which prohibits intimacy with, even touching, their husbands. At the end of this cycle, women will go to the mikvah (ritual cleansing pool) before being able to engage in any contact with their spouse.

The feelings about taharah vary from loving devotion to complete disdain. Although the ritual of cleansing can be very powerful for some, others see it as a rigid tradition which can have a profoundly negative impact on a woman's life.

Consider, for example, a woman who might have a lengthy period or frequent bleeding. There may be only a few days in a month, if that, where she and her husband can be intimate, thus reducing the chances of conception. In fact, this has led many Jewish women throughout history to be considered barren, not because they cannot conceive, but simply because the laws of purity have kept them and their spouses apart.

Some of the more contentious interactions take place between an Orthodox woman who's teaching her daughter about purity laws prior to her marriage. The daughter, who has an air of rebelliousness about her, cannot understand why, all of a sudden, something that has been such a innocuous monthly occurrence becomes so important after marriage. They visit the mikvah together and the daughter admits that she cannot see the same beauty in it as her mother does.

As interesting as some of the discussions are, however, this movie could do with a good chopping. Close-up shots of the drain, the tap and the tiles in the mikvah with soft guitar-plinking behind it might be considered "artsy" but last much too long; and while visuals of someone removing nailpolish or clipping their nails might be contemplative, they do not make for interesting footage.

Ultimately, this movie is a starting point; it does not give a clear and direct explanation of purity laws and leaves it to the various women in the film to convey the information piecemeal. No doubt it will lend itself to an interesting discussion, however, at the Sunday afternoon screening.

Purity screens in English and Hebrew, with English subtitles, May 18, at 4 and 9 p.m., at the Norman Rothstein Theatre. The 4 p.m. screening is a women-only event and will be followed by a panel discussion.

– Baila Lazarus

Commitment averse

Giving totally of yourself to another person, trusting someone that much, is a difficult step to take in a relationship. The mere word "commitment" puts the fear of God into most people and the anxiety it produces provides fodder for many a movie. The romantic comedy A Family Affair adds it own unique take on this societal malaise.

Rachel Rosen (Helen Lesnick) has just broken up – for real this time – with her on-again, off-again girlfriend of 13 years, Reggie (Michele Green). To make a fresh start, Rachel takes her "dark self" out of New York and moves to sunny San Diego, where her parents live.

It takes her a while to fit in, but eventually she finds some friends "who understand sarcasm" and she begins to explore "the lighter, brighter side of the [clothing] color spectrum." Unfortunately though, most of her new friends are men.

Luckily for Rachel, her mother – who wanted to sit shivah when she found out her daughter is a lesbian – is president of the local PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Gays and Lesbians) chapter and is making a retirement career out of supporting gay rights. After a series of horrible blind dates, Rachel finally allows her mother to set her up.

"I still find this sad and scary," says Rachel, "but there you go. Loneliness is a dangerous thing."

Christine Peterson (Erica Shaffer) and Rachel click. All seems blissful and the couple seems destined for the marriage canopy, but then again ... what ever did happen with Reg?

Uneven acting detracts from A Family Affair – only about half the cast can actually act – but the quality of the script saves it. And, while the character of Rachel is annoying at times, her observations on life do make you laugh. They will also make you think about your own relationships and attitude towards commitment ... whether you're gay or not.

A Family Affair screens twice at Oakridge Cinemas; on Monday, May 19, at 9:15 p.m., and on Tuesday, May 20, at 7 p.m. Both shows are preceded by The Great Yiddish Love, an American short film that is comprised of clips from Hollywood, German Ufa and Yiddish films from the 1930s and '40s. It stars Marlene Dietrich and Zarah Leander.

– Cynthia Ramsay

Seventeen is enough

Have two or three kids and feel overworked and underappreciated? What if you had 17? Welcome to the Waks Family follows the Wakses – one of the largest families in Australia – over five years, starting with the marriage of their eldest daughter, Shlomit, 21, just after after the birth of their youngest daughter, Sheini.
The Waks patriarch, Zephaniah, describes his 1960s self as an "eat, drink and mate" mate. Finding only emptiness in this existence, he started searching for spiritual fulfilment. He found what he was looking for in the Lubavitcher movement. Through a traditional arranged married, Waks met Haya, who grew up in a Lubavitcher household in Israel. They "courted" in New York, i.e. dated a few times, then asked for the blessing of the Lubavitcher rebbe to wed, which he granted.

The Wakses emigrated to Australia in 1984. Now, a number of their children are studying at yeshivot elsewhere in the world, mainly in the United States; one was in Israel for four years. In addition to allowing viewers to witness family celebrations, the documentary shows the tensions that the son Menahem caused in the family when he gave up religion and joined the Israel Defence Forces, and the sadness experienced when Haya's father passed away. As well, the film gives a glimpse of how such a large family affords to house, eat and clothe all of its members.

Welcome to the Waks Family plays at the Norman Rothstein Theatre Tuesday, May 20, 7 p.m. Playing before it is the Israeli short film Eicha, which is about a girl whose name, Eicha, is the Hebrew title of the biblical scroll of lamentations read on Tisha b'Av. Eicha was also born on this sombre fast day that commemorates the destruction of the Temple. This film is about her efforts to establish her own identity.

– Cynthia Ramsay

A time to live and ...

What is it about Israel that changes the nature of time? The answer may not be found in the documentary It's About Time but the question certainly gives Israelis pause for thought and the comments range from the flighty and philosophical to the hysterically funny.

"It's suggested time," says one interviewee.

"There is no Israeli time," says another. "It's unknown."

"We live by the dates of war," says a third.

Wars definitely do have an impact on how Israelis view time, but so apparently do newscasts, mortages, history, trauma and even turtles. Filmmakers Ayelet Menahemi and Elona Ariel interviewed a taxidriver, rabbi, lifeguard, swimmer, TV news editor and group of men playing dominoes to get as varied a mix of observations as they could and the result is thoroughly entertaining.

One woman suggests, and others seem to agree, that the state of Israel was born so fast, that's why there's always the feeling that things have to be done in a hurry. The problem is with trying to reconcile a huge past and a condensed present, she says.

You can always pick out an Israeli in Disneyland, says one subject. They're the only ones in a rush.

While most of this 54-minute film consists of quips like these, there are also serious reflections, especially when a soldier talks about how happy he was to make it to his 24th birthday, a milestone for members of the Israel Defence Forces.

Ultimately, watching this movie is like reading a book of Jerry Seinfeld jokes – you may learn a thing or two, you may gain some insights into life, but mostly, it's entertainment.

It's About Time plays in Hebrew with English subtitles at the Pacific Cinémathèque, May 21, 9:15 p.m.

– Baila Lazarus

Festival tickets are available at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC), 950 West 41st Ave., Monday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Friday, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; and at Videomatica, 1855 West 4th Ave., Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; weekends, noon-6 p.m. The ticket hotline number is 604-644-1157.

Program guides are available at the Jewish Western Bulletin, the JCC, all local synagogues, Talmud Torah, Richmond Jewish Day School, Benny's Bagels, Solly's Bagels, Videomatica, Pacific Cinémathèque, Oakridge Cinemas, 5th Avenue Cinemas, Park Theatre, Omnitsky's Deli, Sabra's, Kaplans, Kits Coffee Company, Granville Island Lottery Ticket Centre, the International Deli (67th at Oak), various locations on Main Street, the Richmond Country Club and Garden City Bakery. Information is also available online at www.vjff.org.

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