Eyes Wide Open

EINAYM PKUHOT (EYES WIDE OPEN)
Drama

A restrained and moving story of secret love in Jerusalem's Orthodox community.

After his father's death, Aaron, a respectable butcher in Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox community hires handsome and homeless student, Ezri, to assist with his business. Aaron teaches him the craft of his trade and lets him live in the shop's back room but they soon recognise that their relationship isn’t simply master and apprentice. 

Aaron is completely swept away in a whirlpool of love and lust for Ezri. But guilt, torment and pressure from the community will catch up with him, leading him to make a radical decision...

Delicately handled by first time director Haim Tabakman, Eyes Wide Open is at heart a beautifully affecting love story, which, despite the emotional intensity of the subject matter, remains impeccably restrained throughout.  

Hebrew with subtitles

Official Selection The Times BFI 53^rd London Film Festival 2009
Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2009

Director           Haim Tabakman
Country           Israel
Year                 2009
Duration          90mins

Warning: This festival contains films that are unclassified and therefore the entire festival is rated R. Films in this festival are legally restricted to people 18 years or older.