Next to Her
classified 15 SPlease note: This was screened in May 2016
This Israeli drama from director Asaf Korman is a sensitive and probing portrait about caring for someone with disability. Based on the real life experiences of writer and lead Liron Ben-Shlush, it centres on Chelli (Ben-Shlush), who has devoted herself to caring for her mentally disabled sister Gabby (Dana Ivgy).
While it’s clear the two sisters love each other deeply, it’s apparent that over time they have become increasingly codependent, perhaps unhealthily so. When a social worker insists that Gabby attend a day care centre where she forges new friendships, Chelli feels abandoned and jealous. To complicate things further, Chelli’s new romance with colleague Zohar is threatened when Zohar and Gabby develop an easy rapport that sparks Chelli’s cruel possessive streak.
A stark, moving and naturalistic portrayal of how family ties can both bind and unravel us, Next To Her is an accomplished first feature from a director (and writer) to watch.