Who’s sorry now? Inside Israeli cinema’s Yom Kippur-inspired stories of guilt and redemption

Israeli cinema is replete with themes of guilt, redemption, sin, and atonement, often rooted in Jewish life and religious texts. Comedies, too, grapple with these concepts – a 2019 film titled Forgiveness tells the tale of two friends involved in a robbery, with one fleeing while the other becomes religious upon imprisonment, seeking to make amends upon release.

The 1964 comedy Sallah Shabati, directed by Ephraim Kishon, features a scene where the hero rails against God for the suffering his family endured in their new land, seeking divine atonement. This sentiment is a poignant moment in Israeli cinema.

Director Avi Nesher, who began his career with comedic films, has since delved into more serious themes, often with a blend of comedy and tragedy. His upcoming film Our Loves, set to release on October 15 in Israel and debut at the Haifa International Film Festival, tells the story of a retired general attempting to redeem himself for abandoning his family.

On the fateful day of the Hamas-led attacks on October 6, 2023, Nesher's character, Shabi, must make life-or-death decisions to save his daughter, Liri, living on a kibbutz near the Gaza border. In the process, he gains redemption through learning to value others beyond his own bravery.

Nesher's other films, such as The Other Story, The Secrets, Past Life, The Matchmaker, and The Matchmaker, also explore themes of personal and familial atonement, including strained father-daughter relationships, guilt over sending children to war, and the complexities of understanding a father's experiences during the Holocaust. These narratives highlight the duality of personal and national guilt and redemption prevalent in Israeli cinema.