‘Gett’ wins Israeli best picture, headed for Oscars

The film “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” now has its sights set on an Oscar.

The stirring drama, from brother-and-sister duo Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz, picked up the Best Picture prize on Sunday night at the Ophir Awards, which are the Israeli equivalent of the American Academy Awards.

The Best Picture winner at the Ophirs, which are awarded by the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, automatically becomes Israel’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.

“Gett” has been earning critical raves ever since it premiered earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film follows the five-year saga of an Israeli woman trying to earn a divorce from her distant, emotionally abusive husband in the arcane Israeli rabbinical courts.

The other big winner Sunday night was “Zero Motivation,” the freshman feature from up-and-coming director Talya Lavie.

Lavie scooped a best director trophy for her military comedy, which looks at bored female soldiers waiting out their mandatory time in the IDF. The best actress and best actor statues also went to actors from her film.