Rama Burshtein’s Fill the Void opens with a chirpy young
lady, Shira, groom-shopping
at a mall with her mother Revka. The women point to different men scattered around and discuss them like potential
prospects. All of them sport the conventional-orthodox-Jewish look. Afterwards, we see her run up to her pregnant
sister Esther and brace her excitedly telling her that they’ve found a suitor
for her. Her brother-in-law smiles in approval, sharing her joy.
This family seems to have quite a bit going for it. And
everything does go well in their favour. That is, until a tragedy befalls them.
Esther dies in childbirth, only to be survived by her husband Yochay and new-born
son. Instead of focusing on the immediate implications of the tragedy, Rama Burshtein
skips the melodrama and fast-forwards to a point where they’ve moved on with
their lives. The past is no longer a dwelling issue for the family. It's the future. Shira’s marriage is approaching while Yochay himself
is considering remarriage. The question lingering in Burshtein’s mind here is
whether the family fabric will remain intact after such an incident. This
question also happens to prod Shira’s mother, Revka, who dreads the possibility
of an empty house.
