Matchmaking, infertility in focus in 2 new films on Haredi life

Those seeking a glimpse into Haredi life have not one but two new movies now in Israeli theaters. For some laughs and love, check out ultra-Orthodox rom-com “Matchmaking,” while viewers seeking a more complicated family drama might want to try “Barren.”

Starting with the more lighthearted fare, Erez Tadmor’s “Matchmaking” (translated from “Bahurim Tovim” or “Good Boys” in Hebrew) takes the audience through the Romeo and Juliet-like saga (sans the tragedy!) of two young, eligible ultra-Orthodox singles looking for a match.

Moti (Amit Rahav) spots Nechama (Liana Ayoun), his sister’s friend, and is instantly smitten, but isn’t allowed to date the charming, good-looking young woman because she doesn’t come from an Ashkenazi (European origin) family like his own, but rather comes from a Mizrahi (Middle Eastern origin) family.

This apparently outrageous racism is shared by the loving, concerned parents of both Moti and Nechama, who seem to want the best for their children even if they find it hard to get over their prejudice.

“Matchmaking” is full of hijinks, jokes and slapstick humor thanks to matchmaker Malki (Irit Kaplan) and her deputy, Baruch (Maor Schwitzer), along with plenty of one-liners about spicy salads and noodle kugels, and a heavy dose of Yiddish sprinkled into the Hebrew script.

The anthropological side of the film is also a draw, with its detailed unveiling of the matchmaking process taking place in hotel lobbies and at dining room tables, a taste of which audiences may have already experienced in Rama Burstein’s films or Netflix’s “Shtisel.”

Some Israeli reviewers have called “Matchmaking” a modern “bourekas movie” for the age — referring to the comedy films of the 1970s that poked fun at the broad, racist assumptions of early Israeli society. Still, this is no “Salah Shabati,” and the take-home in this polished box office hit is that the ultra-Orthodox may take their matchmaking seriously, but love is love, especially in a Haredi rom-com.

“Barren,” which premiered at the Jerusalem Film Festival this past summer, offers more questions than answers in its portrayal of a young married Haredi couple grappling with infertility.

Feigi (Mili Eshet) and Naftali (Yoav Rotman, who plays Hanina Tonik to Shira Haas’s Ruchami in “Shtisel”) are a young, ultra-Orthodox couple living with Naftali’s parents in Safed who are struggling to have a baby.

When Naftali travels to Uman to pray for a child during Rosh Hashanah, a guest is invited to stay for the holiday with the family, setting the path for a traumatic event that forces Feigi and Naftali, as well as Naftali’s parents, to face their faith and values.

Set around the piety and prayers of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, “Barren” echoes the themes of the High Holidays, examining intention, faith and belief. There’s a dreamy, fantastical approach to the story that forces audiences to come to their own conclusions about its twists and turns.

There happens to be a matchmaking theme to “Barren” too, as Naftali’s mother earns a living as a matchmaker, and those secondary scenes offer another view of the ultra-Orthodox marriage-brokering system, albeit in the homier, small-town setting of Safed.

The entire film is a bit of a departure for director Mordechai Vardi, the rabbi of Kibbutz Rosh Tzurim who also teaches at the Ma’ale Film School, and who is known for his documentaries and political activism.

Vardi has said the film represents cases that have happened in real life, showcasing the conflict between faith, religion and sexuality, and he wanted to create a discussion on the matter.

“Matchmaking” is being shown at Cinema City and Yes Planet theaters; “Barren” is at Cinema City theaters.