Shtisel (2013) s02e12 Episode Script

1
Libbi wants to get engaged to you.
PREVIOUSLY ON
-She does?
-But, we have some distinct conditions.
No more painting, ever.
Hello, Kaufman,
I don't want to show my paintings.
-Mazel tov to the young couple.
-Mazel tov, Mazel tov, Mazel tov.
But, Giti, she loves him,
nd he loves her.
When you love someone,
you don't get up and leave.
You will divorce Ruchami
and be done with it.
-When did you schedule the court date?
-The court set the date, not us.
-I'm afraid of seeing him.
-Are you afraid he'll fly into a rage?
Just goes to show you've never met him.
Hello.
Who would have thought
your wild artist would settle down.
-What do you mean?
-Didn't he tell you about my conditions?
Finish what you started.
I promised Libbi I'm not doing it anymore.
So you promised.
-We can have the exhibition as planned.
-That means we need one more painting.
When did you paint this?
Today.
I don't want to give up the exhibition.
But you'd give me up?
Abot Hameiri Barkai Productions
Talisma Productions
Created by
Ori Elon and Yehonatan Indursky
Dov Glickman
Michael Aloni
Sasson Gabai
Neta Riskin
Zohar Strauss
Shira Haas
Hadas Yaron
Casting
Hila Yuval
Executive Producers
Eitan Abot and Guy Hameiri
Line Producers
Isca Gur-Luzon and Aviv Ben Shlush
Art Director
Shimri Gal Novack
Music
Avi Belleli
Cinematography
Roey Roth
Editor
Gilad Ariel
Screenplay Editor
Sayed Kashua
Screenplay
Ori Elon and Yehonatan Indursky
Executive Producer
Dikla Barkai
Director
Alon Zingman
SHTISEL
Yesterday,
I couldn't remember what you look like.
I got so scared but then,
it came to me, I could see you
so vividly.
I long for you.
It's sad and good at the same time.
Who established this custom,
with all the excitement of the week
before the wedding,
that we are not allowed to meet?
If I could at least hear your voice
over the phone.
I should stop complaining.
How are you getting on
at your Aunt Esther's?
Can you get some studying
in with all the preparations?
My dear Hanina, I hate to ask,
I know how much it pains you
but if you want to write me
and tell me why you and your father
severed ties, I'd like that.
Sometimes I ask myself
why the people we love the most
are the ones that hurt us the most.
But maybe we have
to forgive.
Forgiveness is so powerful,
moving on, starting over.
I'm sure he'd be so happy
if you'd invite him to our wedding.
I'd be happy too.
My bridal instructor said something
that I think about often.
"A man and a woman are two halves
waiting to come together as one,
but in order to be complete,
the halves must first be complete."
Then pressure him, threaten him.
You threaten him
if you want to.
How can I threaten him?
He's like a dreidel.
He calls off matches
as often as he changes his socks.
You asked me if you could smoke
and what did I say?
Okay, okay, keep your hat on.
I could get a fine for dumping trash
out the window.
-But you, what do you care?
-You're right, we don't.
So, will you pressure him?
You're happy?
Not only does your son call off a match,
now my daughter.
-You're happy?
-Stop busting my chops.
No one asked you to call off the match.
We had distinct conditions, Shulem.
He said he wouldn't paint again
and become a serious Jew.
We made an agreement
and he just trampled on it.
Agreements, you make with your clients.
If you don't like my son
the way he is,
that's your problem.
Who gives the groom conditions?
What is this
the Congo?
What's the Congo got to do with it?
Damn evil people.
-Hold on.
-What?
Do you have anything to do with this?
Me?
I'm asking, did he consult with you?
Consult with me?
We talked, you know, father and son.
I knew it, it was you.
You couldn't stand me making
a serious man out of your son,
so you stuck your nose in the wheels?
Driver, pull over here.
-You said the cemetery.
-I'm getting off here.
Nuchem, stop being so dramatic.
Pull over now.
I'm not waiting for you to say Kaddish.
If you're late,
find yourself another quorum.
What did I say?
Indeed, we forgot, we apologize.
Who's we? It's only you.
Here, Mother, here.
"A woman of good deeds and kindness."
What more can we say?
What more can we say?
Then don't say.
I'll just say one thing, Mother
Dvora's grave is right over there.
And in the middle, between you both,
this two-point five cubit of earth
is mine, Mother.
Two point five cubits of earth
in Jerusalem right between
the two of you.
And I honestly feel
like the luckiest Jew.
Mother, this is worth
more than all the fortune in the world.
More than the buildings and offices,
more than the airplanes of the Americans,
the French and
the Belgians.
Kive, don't be sad. Time heals, etc.
-Nuchem told you?
-We talked.
If he wants to call it off,
it's his problem.
No
it's my problem.
I don't care about Nuchem
it's Libbi I want.
What does she say?
She's been screening my calls.
That's that.
What can you do?
Drink up.
Apricot juice, it's good for you.
Let me tell you something
you didn't know about your father.
Before I met your mother
and we got married, etc,
I met another woman.
Her name's not important.
Yocheved Gezundheit.
We met twice and talked,
we agreed to get engaged.
We were about to tell our parents
that very night.
Yocheved Gezundheit was special,
from a very fine family
descendants of the Chofetz Chaim
or something like that.
-What happened?
-That's just it.
We're about to tell her parents
and she says that after the wedding
she wants me to tuck my sidelocks
behind my ears.
When
I heard that I got up
and said, "Be well, Menukha--"
I mean, "Yocheved"
and I left.
You just
-got up and left?
-Just like that, absolutely.
A girl who gives you conditions
doesn't really want you.
Your dear late mother
accepted me just the way I am.
Dad
you may have forgotten
but Mom was on your case
about a lot of things.
Of course
she encouraged me to study more
to shower more
to be nicer to people,
but she never
tried to change me.
Do you understand?
I hear you.
That's all.
And now Nuchem
won't be your father in law
so no regrets.
I have
to go.
Where to so late at night?
To the studio
I have to finish something by morning.
Good for you.
Take care, Dad.
AKIVA
Well, what do you think?
Honestly
I don't really care what you think.
It's my best work so far.
I know it is.
Hello, Natalie?
This is Izzi Kaufman.
Great.
I want to change the invitations
for the exhibition.
We can still do that, right?
Good.
I want a different painting on them.
That's great,
send the photographer over here.
Great, have a nice day. Bye, Natalie.
What is it you people say?
Keep the faith.
-Yes, keep the faith.
-Keep the faith, Akiva.
-Thank you, Kaufman.
-Wonderful.
I talked to Yaron London this morning.
Do you know who he is?
He's a respected TV host
and he wants to do an item
on your exhibition.
He asked me if he can interview you
and I said no
but then I got to think, "Why not?"
It's a fine platform,
it will do wonders for your career.
But if you tell me you don't want to,
I'll understand.
I know you people have this thing
about the media.
-"You people?"
-What?
I'm the only one here.
Right.
CO: HANINA TUNIK
FROM: RUCHAMI WEISS
Praise God, Ruchami, praise God.
Praise God for what we have,
God willing for what is to come.
I am so excited it's hard to write.
I envision you in your wedding gown
and I am virtually blinded.
Praise God, God willing.
You're right,
it pains me to talk about my father
but maybe writing will be easier.
I'll try.
I was 13 when my mother died.
Everyone said he must remarry,
it would be too hard to raise me
and my little sisters on his own.
He married four months after her funeral.
I couldn't stay after that.
I wandered for hours
until I discovered where I belong.
Every synagogue has a small room
with a Talmud, a lectern and silence.
Hanina
come in, Ruchami's not here.
He was my father as long
as my mother was alive
but when she passed,
it was as if I had passed with her.
I would invite him to the wedding
if I thought he would come,
I'm afraid to try.
It's too painful.
Praise God, God willing.
Bitter by the delay,
the sky filled with clouds and rain
poured down on them.
Thus, they lost their way
and were filled with sorrow.
They traveled until they reached
a village,
cold from the rain and wind.
They decided to sleep there.
They left their horses with a Gentile
and told him to bring them
back in the morning.
We'll continue tomorrow,
-all right?
-Yes.
Good.
Ruchami.
Yes?
What's the matter?
What are you thinking about?
I don't know.
What kind of world is this?
What happened?
Hanina's father
won't be coming to the wedding.
Why not?
They haven't talked in years.
Not at all?
I thought
that it's just because he remarried.
Yes.
-Why? What happened?
-That's just
the way it is.
He doesn't want
anything to do with his children.
That can't be it.
All fathers want a relationship
with their children.
All fathers dream
of being at their children's weddings.
I never thought a father
would leave either.
Not be at the wedding.
I don't understand.
I don't know.
Nevermind.
-Hello?
-Rabbi Shtisel?
It's Zussman from the Burial Society.
We went to the cemetery yesterday.
I know, I know.
That's not why I'm calling.
-Well?
-I got a call from this Frenchman,
he wants to buy your plot.
-What plot?
-Your burial plot.
It's available and he likes the view.
Don't joke about this, Zussman.
I'm not, God forbid, I'm serious.
Serious?
You think I'd sell my gravesite
next to my late wife and late mother?
I knew that's what you would say
but I thought I'd give it a try
It's eleven thousand dollars after all.
-Eleven thousand dollars?
-That's what he's offering.
Nothing doing,
not even for one million dollars.
-Take care, Rabbi Shulem.
-Be well.
Akiva Shtisel?
You're on in two minutes.
Libbi
I hope you'll listen to this message.
If you do
I'm at the TV studio,
I'm going on at five.
It's strange, TV and all.
If you hear this message soon,
turn on your TV.
You have a TV in your hotel room, right?
That's all.
I miss you
very much.
That's all. Goodbye.
It's uncommon to find an artist
who is so young,
so talented and Orthodox.
-Hello, Akiva Shtisel.
-Hello.
RABBI ARTIS
This weekend
you will have a solo exhibition.
-Your first solo exhibition.
-Yes.
You'll tell us how one becomes an artist
in the Orthodox community
that is commanded not to make
a graven image or likeness.
But first I'd like to ask you
about a particular painting
that we see here in the background.
A young mother nursing her baby
and the first thing that comes to mind
are the Christian images
of Mother Mary nursing her son Jesus.
A painting like this
by an Orthodox Jew artist
-is an interesting statement--
-What? No,
forgive me for cutting you off.
There is nothing Christian about it.
Nor Jewish either.
It's
simply a memory.
-A personal memory?
-Yes.
Every painting
is an attempt to turn the present
into a memory.
This painting
is a memory of a memory.
The baby is me
-but he's also my son.
-I don't understand.
The baby in the painting is you?
And the woman is your mother?
She is, and she isn't.
How does an Orthodox man
from Meah Shearim
become a figurative artist
about to have an exhibition
in the Israel Museum? That's
First of all, I didn't grow up
in Meah Shearim, I grew up in Geula.
They're close but they're not the same.
I started painting when I was a child,
I painted for many years
but I gave it up one year ago.
I never thought
I'd take up a paint brush again.
So, what happened?
-I met a woman.
-I see.
She restored
my desire to paint.
She restored my desire.
-Hello.
-Yes.
-Is this the Tunik residence?
-Yes.
-May I speak to Rabbi Tunik?
-Speaking.
Hello, you don't know me
maybe you heard about me.
My name is Ruchami.
-Ruchami Weiss.
-Yes, hello.
I'm
Hanina's intended bride.
Hanina, my son?
Yes.
We're getting married in three days.
I'm very excited to hear that.
I'm glad.
I've been praying for Hanina
all these years three times a day.
Now I'll pray for you too.
Thank you so much.
I'm calling because
we want you to be at the wedding.
Did Hanina say that?
Did he ask you to call me?
No.
But I know he'll be very happy too.
Of course, I want to be at your wedding.
Then you'll come?
Of course, I'll be there
and so will Hanina's siblings.
So, how about we meet
and I'll give you an invitation?
Thank you so much.
I pray for him three times a day.
Hello, Dad.
All of Geula.
All of Geula is talking about my son
who paints his mother like
a whore in the market.
Like a whore in the market!
-I didn't paint Mom like that.
-And you go on TV and give an interview?
-Are you insane?
-Who told you?
Shame on you.
What did your poor, righteous mother
ever do to you?
Did you even see the painting?
It's not a portrait of Mom.
-I said in the interview--
-Don't try to bamboozle me!
-I don't have to see it to understand!
-Of course not, you know it all.
It's an invitation to the exhibition.
I didn't think I'd be giving it to you
under these circumstances
but here it is. The painting is on it.
I'd like you to be there.
Please open it and take a look.
AKIVA SHTISEL,
PORTRAITS
Well?
How can anyone even think that it's Mom?
It's a painting, Dad, not real life.
Kive, when will you get it?
Everything is life.
Everything is life
and what we do with it!
Do you know
that one time your mother cried
an entire night
because her head covering
slipped slightly off her hair
when we had company?
I had to console her
and assure her that no one noticed.
She cried an entire night because of that.
You will take back that painting
of your mother,
of blessed memory, you hear me?
It will not be shown in an exhibition.
No, Dad.
-What did you say?
-I said no.
I'm not taking back the painting.
Nuchem was right.
I'm a fool for not realizing it.
When you paint
you care about nothing.
You sold us, Kiva.
You sold me and your dead mother.
And for what?
-Is it the right gas station?
-Yes.
But we're 30 minutes early.
He'll be here, Ruchami, don't worry.
Of course
I know.
You want to drive?
-What?
-Come on, I'll teach you.
-Let's go for a little ride.
-Are you insane, Dad?
-What?
-What if a policeman stops up?
That won't happen.
You know how many times
I let your mother drive
when I still had a car?
-Really?
-Yes.
-Mom?
-Yes.
But don't tell her I told you.
She was a race car driver.
TUNIK FAMILY
You want to wait a little longer?
I don't know.
Maybe there's no point.
You want to call him again?
No.
Ruchami, it's disappointing
but it's not what matters.
What does matter?
That Hanina loves you
and you're getting married.
And everything will be fine, trust me.
Why should I trust you?
You're angry with me?
What did I do?
It's not you.
It's all of you.
How did it go?
-Mom.
-Yes?
Did you forgive Dad?
Whole-heartedly?
Whole-heartedly?
I don't know if there is such
a thing.
I had an awful dream.
I woke up.
I wanted to walk over to the railing
of the women's section in the synagogue
like our first nights together.
Sometimes I'd wake up
in the middle of the night,
look at you,
listen to the melody you're studying
and go back to bed.
But then I realized
that I'm in my house,
my bed
alone.
Sometimes we forgive too fast, Hanina.
Everything is so fragile.
Suddenly you disappear from my thoughts.
I can't remember you.
I'm afraid you'll never come back.
You know how much you can get
for an Agrippa these days?
A fortune.
I think you can get twice
as much than the boat series.
It's a totally different ballpark.
Kaufman
my name is Shtisel. I'm Akiva's father.
Yes, I remember you.
I don't want you to show
that painting to anyone.
-But it's a painting, not--
-It's my dearly departed wife.
We were married for 40 years.
We have six children and 32 grandchildren
and I don't want her in this gallery
or anywhere else.
Please sit down.
Mr. Shtisel, you must understand.
She was your wife
and she was Akiva's mother.
Akiva is an artist,
you must understand that.
Yes, an artist, I understand.
Is money
all you care about? Money?
How much do you want?
It's not that, Rabbi Shtisel.
Stop jerking me around
and don't call me Rabbi Shtisel.
-How much do you want for the painting?
-Come on.
-Name your price.
-I'm sorry, it's not for sale.
-You don't sell paintings here?
-I do,
but this painting will be
in your son's exhibition tonight.
-Don't say he didn't tell you.
-He did.
He did.
He told all the people of Israel too.
The paintings are already there,
Akiva is there,
I'm taking the painting with me
when I go,
be proud of your son.
He said wonderful things
in that TV interview.
I'll give you 1000 shekels.
It's not about the money
and even if you bought the painting,
it would still be in the exhibition
tonight.
Cut that out!
And stop smiling too.
Thank you.
Listen to me
I won't have that painting hanging
in any museum,
you hear me?
I do
but as I said
I'll pay you
eleven thousand dollars.
No big deal, a gravesite is no big deal.
What matters is what matters.
Look at those beautiful buildings,
damn evil people.
What's with the good mood, Dad?
Me? I'm always happy, sweetie.
No, you're not.
Fine
I'll tell you.
-Can you keep a secret?
-I guess so.
My big brother, your uncle,
he scoffed at me
at your grandma's gravesite.
What did he say?
That all he needs
is his two point five cubits
-next to Grandma and Dvora's graves.
-And?
That they're worth
more than all the buildings in Belgium,
-blah, blah, blah.
-And?
He doesn't have
two point five cubits anymore.
He's all talk. He sold them.
As soon as he was offered some money,
he sold them.
-I don't understand.
-What's to understand?
He talks the talk
but when it comes down to it,
he's no better than me.
How
do you know he sold the plot?
Because I know the anonymous man
who bought it from him.
Hello, I'm from Paris,
I'd like a plot on the Mount of Rest.
What? He deserved it.
But why did Kive deserve it?
-Why did I deserve it?
-What are you talking about?
-Both of you with your stupid fights--
-What fights?
You ruined
what we had with your stupid fights.
Libbi, what have I ever ruined for you?
I know
you love me, Dad
but
I can't live like this
and I won't find what I want if
You must be tired, confused,
I don't understand.
I want to live with him, Dad.
With Kive, just the way he is.
He's good for me, I know it.
I trust him, I want him to paint,
I don't mind, on the contrary.
Hello?
Lippe.
What happened? Where are you?
I need you, Lippe.
I need you.
I forgive you.
What?
I forgive you.
And I love you.
Ruchami.
What's with you?
We can't meet before the wedding.
-I don't care.
-Of course, you do.
I care more about the fact
that you're afraid.
I promise you
Ruchami
I won't
ever
leave you.
Not you
not our children
ever.
God willing.
Praise God, God willing.
Praise God, God willing.
-See you tomorrow.
-See you.
The Jewish Orthodox life
in the 21st century
is uniquely expressed in the paintings
of Akiva Shtisel.
I am pleased and proud to be here
to open his first exhibition.
He is a groundbreaking artist.
Not in terms of art in general,
rather paving his own path.
He looks at his unique world
with a realistic eye.
He idealizes nothing.
He doesn't have an exotic,
external viewpoint.
Rather, he puts reality on canvas
and it's alive and vibrant,
painful and touching.