IFF- Encirclements

Thirteen year old Aharon Ninio, the only child of parents who are unable to conceive again, is determined to win the honor of carrying the Torah scrolls on Simhat Torah. The belief that he who carries the Torah may ask God for anything on behalf of others can elevate Aharon’s status in the neighborhood and win his distant father’s approval and love. But after Aharon wins the honor, his achievement brings ancient tensions to the surface. This tension becomes unbearable and on the night of the honorary round, the Torah slips from his hands and shatters on the ground and the symbolic, happy ceremony becomes a life-threatening struggle.

“Encirclements” uses cultural and religious rituals to depict the kind of private ceremonial traditions that exist in every family – all within the tumultuous and humor-filled life of people who are on the margins of society.