This heartfelt, moving and honest tale of a young woman tending to the special needs of her younger sister in present-day Israel was partly inspired by writer/star Liron Ben-Shlush’s experiences with her own much-loved sibling. Dana Ivgy researched the role of Gabby at the hostel where Ben-Shlush’s sister now resides, and she brings to the screen a compassionate conviction that director Asaf Korman (Ben-Shlush’s husband) takes full advantage of. While it seems at first that Gabby is the needy one who leaves little space for her older sister’s private life, it soon becomes clear that it is Chelli who cannot bear the prospect of separation. Yaakov Zada Daniel does an excellent job of keeping interloper Zohar’s true motives uncertain, leaving us as anxious as Chelli about how far to trust her boyfriend. As for the sisters, the balance between care and control is the crux of the matter, and there’s no soft-soaping the mixture of love and cruelty that fires Chelli’s devotion.
