Wednesday | 09/11/2022 | 13:00-14:00 | Cinematheque - Hall 2
By the Power of the Tongue" is a spoken word performance accompanied by an original soundtrack and documentary video-art segments. It is based on the new book of poetry by Sigalit Banai.
On a theater stage, Banai speaks her poems with a theatrical delivery while video segments appear behind her on screen. The poems shift from the fragile domestic space on the verge of destruction, seeking faith and meaning in an era whereby "enlightenment killed God", to the following of an influential female rabbi who becomes a media celebrity and the spiritual power of language to create and mend. Cinema-like portraits are interwoven among these: Maya Rachel, whose ring was forgotten on the day of her wedding to a Breslov Hassid; Vladimir, the Ukrainian waiter from the "Rabenu" Hotel in Uman, who collects leftovers from the meals; and Arye Leib who arrives from Paris for his brother's Bar Mitzvah in a surprising outfit.
The video segments depict ultra-Orthodox women reciting a prayer in adherence to God, a wedding dance in slow motion that turns into the likes of a mourning march and images from domestic life. The soundtrack is comprised of a hip hop beat, children's laughter, street sounds. "By the Power of the Tongue" is the story of a woman who left the fold and is seeking closeness to God, creator of the world, through the spoken word.
Witten and Directed: Sigalit Banai
Dramaturgy & Directing Actress: Hana Vazana Grunwald
Cinematography: Lital Shahar, Micha Simhon, Sigalit Banai
Editing: Romi Menachem
Animation: Imri Simhon Banai
Sound Editing: Dror H. Shiman