In Eyes Wide Open Aaron (Zohar Strauss), a respectable butcher married with children in Jerusalem’s ultra-orthodox Jewish community, lives a life of work, prayer and family. When he hires seductive young man Ezri (Ran Danker) as an apprentice feelings that have long laid dormant are reignited in Aaron, who initially welcomes his presence as a test of faith. He begins to neglect his family and community life and the pair get swept away by their lust while their relationship has not gone unnoticed by the orthodox “decency police”. A mature study of a highly controversial topic, Eyes Wide Open articulates the devastating struggle between human desire and religious devotion with restrained dignity and grace.

In this post-screening discussion the film's director Haim Tabakman talks about the background to the film and the challenges of making a film set in a society in which to even discuss homesexuality is to admit that it exists.

The Q&A is hosted by Richard Cross from the Gay Lawyers Network.

Posted on Fri 14 May 2010.

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