Shiva (2008 film)

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Shiva
Shivafilmposter.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed by Ronit Elkabetz
Shlomi Elkabetz
Written byRonit Elkabetz
Shlomi Elkabetz
Produced byGuy Jacoel

Yochanan Kredo
Elie Meirovitz
Eylon Ratzkovsky
Jean-Philippe Reza
Yossi Uzrad
StarringRonit Elkabetz
Albert Iluz
Yaël Abecassis
Simon Abkarian
Hana Laszlo
Moshe Ivgy
Keren Mor
Alon Aboutboul
CinematographyYaron Scharf
Edited byJoel Alexis
Music byMichel Korb
Sergio Leonardi
Distributed by Les Films du Losange (France)
Release dates
  • 2 July 2008 (2008-07-02)(France)
  • 25 September 2008 (2008-09-25)(Israel)
Running time
103 minutes
CountriesIsrael
France
LanguagesFrench
Hebrew
Moroccan Arabic

Shiva, also known as 7 Days, Seven Days and The Seven Days, is a 2008 drama film written and directed by Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz. It is the second feature to be directed by the siblings following 2004's To Take a Wife. The film is the second in a trilogy focusing on the unhappy marriage of Viviane Amsalem, the first being To Take a Wife (2004). [1] The final film of the trilogy was 2014's Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem .

Contents

The film received international acclaim, winning awards at the Venice Film Festival and the Jerusalem Film Festival.

"Shiva" was filmed in late 2007 and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival's Critics' Week in May 2008, earning global praise. It later won the Wolgin Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival and two Ophir Awards for cinematography and supporting actress (Evelin Hagoel). The film also achieved success in France and Spain, where it won several awards, including best film and best actress.

Plot

For seven days a large family of Moroccan descent observes the Jewish mourning ritual of shiva when a brother dies. Living together again reveals many tensions and conflicts between family members. Amid the tensions, the Gulf War rages in the background. [2] [3] [4]

The plot of "Shiv'a" (The Seven Days) opens in Kiryat Yam during the Gulf War (January 1991) at the funeral of Maurice Ohayon, who passed away unexpectedly. Maurice's Moroccan family gathers for the traditional seven-day mourning period (shiva). The family includes Maurice’s mother, Hanina (Sulika Kadosh), his widow Ilana (Keren Mor), six brothers—Meir (Albert Iluz), Haim (Moshe Ivgy), Itamar (Alon Aboutboul), Jacky (Rafi Amzaleg), David (David Ohayon), and Charlie (Yechiel Elkabetz)—and two sisters, Simona (Hanna Azoulay Hasfari) and Vivian (Ronit Elkabetz).

Cast

Reception

The film received mixed reviews. Variety compared it unfavourably to To Take a Wife while at the same time praising the acting as "flawless". [5] The Jerusalem Post wondered "why they ha[d] been asked to spend two hours listening to the angry resentments of a disintegrating family, even if they admire the cast and co-directors' skill..." [6]

References

  1. ↑ Saito, Stephen. "Interview: Shlomi Elkabetz on setting the stage for "Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem"". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  2. ↑ "Israeli film maker Ronit Elkabetz" Euro News. Retrieved 28 June 2010
  3. ↑ "Israeli films favored in Cannes" Ynetnews 16 May 2008
  4. ↑ "Israeli family sitting 'Shiva; finds all its enemies within" 19 February 2009. Jewish Weekly
  5. ↑ Weissberg, Jay. "Review: 'The Seven Days'". Variety. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  6. ↑ Brown, Hannah. "Movie review: Seven Days of anguish". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
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