Gett, The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

Story

In Israel, there are neither civil marriages nor divorces: a rabbi alone decides whether a marriage or a divorce are lawful or not. A divorce is also only possible with the full agreement of the husband. He has the last word – and thus more power than a judge. Viviane Amsalem has been wanting a divorce for three years. But her husband Elisha will not agree to it. His intransigence, Viviane’s determination to fight for her freedom and the ambivalent role of the courts are the basis for a court case that lurches from tragedy to absurdity. Everything is important for the decision, apart from Viviane’s wishes.

Director

Ronit Elkabetz (*1964) is one if Israel's best-known actors. Shiva is the second part of a trilogy which she realised with her brother Shlomi Elkabetz (*1972) and which included her directorial debut To Take a Wife (FILMFEST HAMBURG 005) and Gett - The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (FILMFEST HAMBURG 014).

Trailer