Fill the Void (2012)

An intriguing view into the lives of the Tel Aviv Haredi Jewish community, this film tells the story of a young woman who is looking forward to marrying and all the new wonders she and her future spouse will discover together. Unfortunately that fantasy is shaken when her older sister dies in childbirth and she is encouraged instead to marry her sister’s widower. Written and directed by the first Haredi Jewish woman to direct a film, it treats the culture matter-of-factly, not as strange or even extraordinarily different from any other. The director herself compares the story to a Jane Austen novel and indeed, the women in both circumstances are guided by strict rules of decorum but still find love and happiness in their communities.