Self Made בורג

The movie Self Made, 2014, which means “a screw” in Hebrew, is a black comedy which uses surreal episodes to talk about gritty issues in reality, especially women’s identity. Shira Geffen, the director (remember Jellyfish) creates a charming and cerebral film about the tribulations of women’s lives in Israel. Self Made uses the story of two women- one Jewish, the other an Arab who eventually swap lives to present what is at once an enjoyable comedy and a contemplative exercise looking at the construction of sexual identities. Michal, an Israeli, is thrown out of her bed because her bed has caved in; the ensuing head injuries causes memory loss. The ordering of a new bed from a DIY furniture company somehow intertwines her life with Nadine, the Arab woman in charge of packing screws in plastic bags for the company. A soldier’s brief meltdown at the border brings about the bizarre mix-up of Michal and Nadine’s identities, with the two women suddenly living the other’s life. The script is witty and wise. When it is all over, you have to sort out for yourself what exactly Geffen is trying to say. Sometimes puzzling, sometimes provocative, the film is well worth watching.

In Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles.

Reviewed by Dolores Luber

These movies are available free from the Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library at the JCC.

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