The Akedah, or binding and near-sacrifice of his son Isaac by Abraham, is an essential ingredient of the Judeo-Christian narrative. ( It is also celebrated in Islam by a festival, Eid al-Adha , with Ishmael taking on the role of Isaac.) The tale of a father whose love of God exceeded that of his son has always proved troublesome for Jewish mothers, and David Volach’s film exploits this feeling to the full. Set in an ultra-orthodox household, whose father Rabbi Abraham (played movingly by Moshe Dayan’s son Assi) spends his days steeped in the study of Torah, their one annual holiday is a day-trip to the Dead Sea with wife Esther (Sharon Hacohen-Bar) and only son Menahem (Elan Griff) , which ultimately proves to be tragic. This tragedy, with which the mother cannot come to terms, gives this beautiful film an emotional climax, with the implied rejection of her husband’s values.
This film is another triumph for the Israeli cinema, which is proving to be internationally competitive and world-class in every respect.
Not to be missed; suitable for all ages.
After writing this review, I came across the following more comprehensive Variety review, which I recommend as the writer drew the same analogy as myself!
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