הקולנוע הישראלי בתחילת המאה העשרים ואחת: סתירות בפרקטיקה הדתית ספרדית-מזרחית מסורתית, בהיררכיות הקהילתיות ובחיי המשפחה

This article presents an applicative study which incorporates two disciplines: research of sectarian tension in traditional (Masorati) Israeli society (Sephardi-Mizrahi) and its representation in Israeli cinema in the decade from the 2010s to the present; and a historical review of the rise of the Shas religious party and the influence of theAshkenazi leader Rabbi Shach on the life of traditional Sephardi-Mizrahi Israelis who joined or supported the party, led by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and his representatives in Israeli politics, especially Aryeh Deri.During the decades when the party and its leaders were effecting dramatic changes in the DNA of parts of Sephardi-Mizrahi society, a change also occurred in the culture and arts scene of “secular-leaning” traditional Sephardi-Mizrahi Jews, characterized by their affinity for mild Israeli secularism. They chose to refrain from adopting anew religious lifestyle and worked as professionals in the arts. Their productions,particularly Israeli films and television series, began to react against the ultra-Orthodox dogma of Shas’ rabbinical and political leadership. This opposition, which was expressed in two waves of films: the first from 2000 to 2012 and the second from2013 to 2019, primarily reflected psychological and familial changes experienced by Sephardi-Mizrahi protagonists.In the article, I will present an overview of second-wave films that depict everyday situations, events, and celebrations of traditional Sephardi-Mizrahi Jews, such as God’s Neighbors (2012), En circlements (2014), The Women’s Balcony (2016),and The Unorthodox (2018). Through these works, I argue that developments in traditional Israeli society have led to substantial changes in the narrative medium, and demonstrate how filmmakers have voiced opposition to and criticism of the patriarchal establishment, in order to counter the political and religious establishment’s attempt to control their lifestyles and traditions and promote a return to the traditional and simple origins of their ancestors.