The Guests Have Arrived

There have been several movies made in the past that have focused on the theme of Orthodox Jewry, especially Chasidim, or those that are labeled as "ultra Orthodox". Usually, these movies suffered from weak plots, many inaccuracies, or both. Others also add an element of portraying their subject in the worst possible light. In many cases, it is actually fun to point out the inaccuracies (much like it is fun for Trekkies to point out inconsistencies in the latest Trek installation). It would be nice, however, if there was a movie that treated its subject matter with some respect and accuracy. In Israel, a Breslover Chasid (a Ba'al Teshuva, returnee to Judaism) has made what may be the world's first charedi (fervently religious) produced and starring movie. It is called Ushpizin, the Aramaic for "guests" or "visitors". Whether it is good as the reviewer says it is, time will tell. No word on when the DVD (with the directors commentary and 8 hours of deleted scenes) is coming out.