Broken Wings

The broken part of these wings is what happens to the Ullman family in Israel after their father/husband is killed in a freak accident. Nine months later, the four children and their mother are trying to come to terms with it.

Terms mean different things to different people, but what seems obvious is that no-one's coping too well and no-one's talking. The relationship between Dafna (Orly Silbersatz Banai), the mother, and 17-year-old Maya (Maya Maron), a budding singer/songwriter, has collapsed into guerrilla insults. Maya's twin, Yair (Nitai Gaviratz), has dropped out of school, given up basketball - his passion - and slobs around the apartment, saying things such as: "This conversation does not exist and you don't exist."

Nir Bergman's film has every right to be the biggest downer since Nil By Mouth, but, like Lilya 4-ever, this is far from the case. There is much humour, warmth and humanity here. As an ensemble piece, it hooks you in with compassion for Dafna's indefatigable courage, Maya's confused loyalties and Yair's sweet nature.

Bergman's non-judgmental approach allows the audience to make up its own mind about whether this family is going under, or will come through a potential second tragedy more united.

Emotions may be all over the place, but the performances are as strong as Dafna's spirit. Although a slice-of-life movie, offering no easy answers and only a soupcon of sentimentality, Broken Wings is a healer. You feel better for watching it.