Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

Golden Globe Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film and an Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival, this is a heart-rending portrait of a woman's struggle to overcome patriarchy to live a life of her own design.

Viviane Amsalem (Ronit Elkabetz) is seeking a divorce from her estranged husband, and finds herself effectively put on trial by Israel's powerful religious establishment. After three years, her devout husband Elisha (Simon Abkarian of Casino Royale and Persepolis) still refuses to accede. His cold intransigence, Viviane's determination, and the ambiguous role of the rabbinical judges shape a powerful courthouse drama where tragedy vies with absurdity, and everything is brought out into the open for judgment.

"Expertly written, brilliantly acted...The beautifully modulated script, ripe with moments of liberating humor, builds to a crescendo of indignation, allowing Elkabetz several cathartic outbursts, but they're no more riveting than the actress' silences." - Jay Weissberg, Variety

"Densely rich drama, told with stringent austerity but also humor and judicious empathy...an altogether strange but astonishing work of craftsmanship." - Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter

Running Time

117 mins

Year

2014

Kanopy ID

1883859

Filmmakers

Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz

Features

Menashe Noy, Ronit Elkabetz

Languages

Hebrew

Subjects

Movies > World Cinema

Movies > Drama

Movies

Global Studies & Languages > Middle Eastern Studies

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Comments (7)

Karen

The New York Public Library•4 days ago

Ronit Elkabetz - amazing, astonishing and totally mesmerizing as a woman fighting for her freedom!

David

Kelvin Smith Library, Case Western Reserve University•2 months ago

Medieval theocracy rules this country, which claims to defend 'modern democratic values' in the Middle East

Katie

University of Texas at Austin•9 months ago

very beautiful

Eve

The New York Public Library•10 months ago

Astonishing...had no idea about the powerful, anachronistic Israeli religious establishment.

John

Los Angeles Public Library•1 year ago

First rate. A superb film on all counts. The performance of Ronit Elkabetz both when she is verbal and silent is extraordinary.

Prince George's County Memorial Library System•1 year ago

Superb acting. It's unsettling that there is so much meddling, especially by men, in the lives of this couple, and that the whole process lasted as long as it did. I can imagine this happens in real life - what a nightmare.

Jacqueline

The New York Public Library•1 year ago

I remember this watching film and was blown away by the performance of Ronit Elkabetz. I am now a fan Menache Noy & Shlomi Elkabetz

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Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

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