Broken Wings (2002)
Broken Wings
14 December 2006
A family of four children and a hard working mother has to bear the death of the father.

Although the summary sounds quite pessimistic, "Broken Wings" is far from wallowing in depressive observations on shattering relationships. Director Nir Bergman rather succeeds in allowing each and every participant to have a totally individual, truthful, lightly surreal behavior to deal with the difficult situation. Mother Dafna (Orly Silbersatz Banai) is persuaded by a colleague to introduce herself to a partnership agency - and obviously feels quite uncomfortable. Her oldest son Yair (Nitai Gvirtz) refuses to go to school and instead distributes fliers dressed in a mouse costume. His brother Ido (Daniel Magon) persistently makes tests of courage with jumping into an empty swimming pool. The 17-year-old Maya (Maya Maron) has to grow up as quick as possible to take too much responsibility for Ido and her younger sister Bahr (Eliana Magon).

Mostly, it is due to Bergman, that the film is very close to real life. Which means: Because he obviously loves his protagonists, he also exposes them - as normal beings, who sometimes can not distinguish between actual grief and sheer self-pity. The film shows in mostly very sensitive pictures, that it is most human to pasture in one's own pain. Bergman's point of view also permits continually flashing humor, because life can not go on without it. This makes the drama an optimistic, wonderful signpost towards the direction of one's own self, without succumbing into the cheap kitsch of a soap opera.
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