Poor Wonder Woman. Not poor Diana of the Amazons; she can take care of herself. But seldom does a commercial film carry so much weight of larger significance as the new superhero(ine) flick. Every aspect of what the movie says about gender, and what it means for women in the media, has come under scrutiny.

And on top of it all, there’s the political aspect of its star, Gal Gadot, as an Israeli. Political, as in, the entire country of Lebanon has banned the film because of the background of its star. But on a smaller scale, Gadot’s social media posts about Hamas, the IDF, and her national identity have also sparked debate and controversy, often linked to her very visible position playing the female embodiment of justice.

But the point of the Wonder Woman film is that no humans are pure, that no adult has all the answers. The film is a coming-of-age story for Diana, princess of the Amazons, as she has to grapple with the monstrosities that occur in a human world that also fascinates her.

In the film (and the comics, more or less) Diana comes from a society that’s defined by the notion of self-defense and survival, but hasn’t had to actually had to take up arms in an obscenely long time (possibly millennia?). As their princess, Diana considers war an abomination, but also loves the idea of getting a chance to kick some ass. And whaddya know! World War I happens to be raging, and the Amazonian gets her chance to leave her island for the first time and join the fray. But of course, of all the wars in human history, the Great War is known as being particularly brutal and bloody, as well as morally and politically complicated.

Diana quickly assumes that Germany is under the corrupting influence of Ares, the god of war. But as someone raised with war as an abstract, she begins to become confused by even hints of moral relativism or nuance. Why are some British officials resistant to the Armistice? What is the point of trench warfare? Why can’t she stop and save everyone she encounters along the way to her ultimate goal of ending the war? While the film mostly avoids the trope of a physically mature woman with childlike intellect, Diana’s questions sound like a child learning about present-day conflicts, like Syria, or yes, Israel-Palestine.

Eventually, disillusioned, she comes to the conclusion that Ares is not only influencing the Central Powers, but the Allies as well. As an independent agent representing only peace and justice, how can she ally herself with either cause?

Without spoilers, you might argue that the film is a bit muddled in its resolution of the matter, but it’s fascinating that it brings them up in the first place. And seeing a former Israeli soldier at its center is poignant; now, 50 years after one of Israel’s most significant, and controversial wars, grappling with unimaginable complexity remains at the heart of political discourse about Israel-Palestine.

Every person involved in a real-world conflict would like to be Diana, and would like to be a hero facing a villain, as if the battle is no longer worth fighting without moral purity. But even Diana, through the mouth of an Israeli, comes to see that situational simplicity is, at best, a luxury.

Image via Facebook.

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If you’re looking for a good Kickstarter project to increase your tzedakah before Yom Kippur, consider Division Ave. The film is fundraising for completion, and it has a strong message of economic and racial justice.

The film explores the ongoing phenomenon that Chasidic homes in Brooklyn hire undocumented immigrants to clean their homes. At times, these women, usually Latina or Eastern European, work in poor conditions, or have no insurance that they will be paid what they were promised.

In Division Ave, Michal Birnbaum plays Nechama, a Chasidic woman who hires Fernanda (Lorena Rodriguez) to clean for her in anticipation of Passover. She learns that Fernanda is having wages withheld by a contractor, and the two form an unlikely team to seek justice. Of course, they discover that they have more in common than they previously thought.

Birnbaum is not only one of the film’s stars, but also its writer. Originally from Bnei Brak, she moved to the United States about five years ago after completing her service in the IDF. She currently works onstage and film, including a role in the recent Nerve and participating in the Jewish “24/6” theatre company. She first heard the story of this practice during a synagogue sermon (around Passover) about modern slavery.

“I was very upset, generally because it’s not a thing that human beings should do to another human being,” Birnbaum told Jewcy. “This is mostly the Jewish community that hires those women. I wanted to explore the situation more.” She got in touch with the Workers Justice Project, a laborers’ rights organization. The more she learned, the more determined she was to tell this story, and she wrote the screenplay for Division Ave, named for the street where women wait for work for the day, for as little as $7 or $8 an hour. But she also sees the difficult situation of the women on the other end of the hiring process.

“More than even immigration, it’s about women, it’s about women living under patriarchy,” she says. “In my film we see the cleaning lady and her struggle, but we also see the Chasidic woman. She’s also under a lot of pressure to be ready for Pesach all by herself.”

This feminist attitude continues to the production team, and directing Division Ave is Ofelia Yanez. “It was clear for me that I want a woman to direct this project,” says Birnbaum.

As she worked on the screenplay, Birnbaum spoke to immigrant cleaning women, as well as women once from or currently part of the Chasidic community. She found many cultural gaps, sometimes wide enough to create tension or distrust. These could be issues such as the fact that non-Jewish women can’t bring their food into the kosher homes where they’re working. In one stark example, Birnbaum also found Chasidic women used to scrubbing on their hands and knees surprised when day laborers claim it’s humiliating and prefer a mop.

“As human beings, as Jews,” says Birnbaum of the cleaning women, it would be better to “do something to make it more bearable for them and just really earn a living with dignity and respect.” She cites the WJP’s guidelines for fair hiring practices, including a written contract, larger minimum pay, full equipment provided, and to move the hiring corner indoors. Birnbaum admits that some Chasidim express racism towards the women they hire, and hopes that there will be more stories like the one told in her film.

As far as the fundraising process, so far so good.

“We’re overwhelmed by so much support from the Jewish community, from the Latin community,” says Birnbaum. “It’s really touching how many people find it important that we can tell the story of those women.”

You know the drill with Kickstarter: There are great rewards and updates for supporters, but funding is all or nothing once the clock runs out. You can watch a video about the film below, and donate before its Monday completion here. 

Image courtesy Division Ave

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This summer, Hulu began streaming Hatufim (Prisoners of War), the Israeli show Homeland is based on. And while I’m always excited for new devotees of Israeli television, I noticed a strange phenomenon: people commenting on the relative unattractiveness of the Israeli actors in comparison to their Homeland counterparts. In fact, a similar thing happened when I was writing weekly recaps about the Israeli TV show Srugim—there were a few commenters who repeatedly popped up to air their opinion on the female characters lack of hotness.

Look, people are the worst. But they may sort of have a point. It is true that American TV stars, with their airbrushed perfect skin and glossy hair, are better kempt and more conventionally attractive than their Israeli counterparts. That’s partly due to the much lower production budget for Israeli TV, and partly because Israeli media lacks an US Weekly-style obsessive cataloging of every actresses’ baby weight or latest wrinkle.

And while some might prefer everyone onscreen to look like Bar Refaeli, there’s something comforting and refreshing about the every-guy quality of Israeli TV actors, who really look like people you might see on the streets of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. I mean, would you really trust a CIA operative as attractive as Claire Danes? I have never seen anyone with such shiny hair in Foggy Bottom.

Danes’ character has no exact analogue on Hatufim, but as I pointed out a few weeks ago, the great Israeli Hollywood takeover has lots of Israeli and American actors playing the same characters. Cultural differences aside, some actors manage to bring more believability to their roles than others. To see how the Americans stack up against the originals, here’s a side-by-side comparison.

Show: In Treatment/B’Tipul
Character: Psychologist

Israeli version: One of Israeli’s most iconic actors, Assi Dayan—son of famed eye patch-wearing foreign minister Moshe Dayan!—plays Dr. Reuven Dagan. The therapist’s office may be a bit run down and his clothes slightly rumpled, but even while his inner life is in turmoil he still conveys his commitment to his patients.

American Version: Gabriel Byrne plays Dr. Paul Weston, with an Irish brogue that lends gravitas to everything he says. His long silences and distant looks instill confidence—as do his well-tailored suits.

Most Realistic: Byrne. He’s easy to imagine as one of those annoying therapists on the Upper East Side who doesn’t take insurance and makes you pay upfront.

Show: Traffic Light/Ramzor
Character: Type A Wife

Israel: Yael Sharoni—who also starred in Srugim, my favorite show about the love lives of Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem—plays Lilach Itzkovich-Yafa, the overly opinionated wife of the henpecked Itzko. Her verbal (and implied physical) abuse is a running joke throughout.

America: Liza Lapira plays Lisa Reilly. Lapira is a talented actress, but because the showrunners don’t think America can handle an unlikeable woman, the character is watered down to a bland nothing.

Most Realistic: Sharoni. She was born to play a Grade-A bitch. Plus, Srugim!

Show: Homeland/Hatufim
Character: Returning POWs

Israel: Yoram Toledano and Ishai Golan play Nimrod Klein and Uri Zach, two Israeli soldiers returning home after being held in captivity in Lebanon for 17 years.

America: Damian Lewis is Nicholas Brody, an American soldier who has been held by Al-Qaida since 2003.

Most Realistic: Yoram and Uri. The two must have lost a significant amount of weight to look as emaciated as they do and they never lose their haunted look throughout the season. While I adore Damian Lewis, the man doesn’t even have bags under his eyes.

Show: In Treatment/B’Tipul
Character: A patient going to therapy with his wife to decide whether or not to have an abortion.

Israel: I don’t remember much about Rami Heuberger’s performance as Michael. Just that the character was all kinds of awful.

America: Dan Rydell Will Gardner Josh Charles plays Jake, with a penchant for denim and an unfortunate mustache and goatee.

Most realistic: Josh Charles because he is the king of office Passover seders and all things Baltimore.

Show: Homeland/Hatufim
Character: The older, wiser intelligence officer.

Israel: Gal Zaid is Haim Cohen, who is convinced the two returning abductees have a secret they aren’t sharing.

America: Mandy Patinkin steals the show as Saul Berenson‬‬, Carrie’s mentor and erstwhile defender. ‬‬

Most Realistic: Mandy Patinkin, holla

Previously: Is That a Falafel in My Situation Comedy?

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