Barren

<p><img alt="Laurel icon denoting the film is in competition for a Jury Prize." border="0" src="https://data.ajff.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/laurel_2023_JuryPrize_01.png" style="width:20%; max-width:20%; margin-left:10px; float:right;" />Desperate for a baby, an ultra-Orthodox couple confronts a devastating trauma that threatens to tear them apart, in this powerful, heartbreaking Israeli drama based on true events. Faigi (Mili Eshet) and her husband Naftali (Yoav Rotman) have spent years fruitlessly trying to conceive, focusing on prayer over fertility treatments. The childless couple lives with his parents much to Faigi’s dismay, as she longs for independence and privacy. When Naftali pilgrims to Ukraine to pray, a charismatic rabbi (Gil Frank) claiming healing powers exploits the family’s trust with sinister consequences. Featuring a gifted ensemble, this deep-dive examination of faith and marriage is the utterly engrossing debut fiction work of documentarian Rabbi Mordechai Vardi.</p>