I recommend seeing the Wedding Plan , an Israeli film (In Hebrew with English subtitles) written and directed by Rama Burshtein which gives a fascinating insight into the culture of Israel's ultra-orthodox Hasidic community. The script is both clever and at times humorous , giving poignant observations on love, courtship, and wedding parties.
Actress Noa Kooler delivers a sensitive and charming performance as an Orthodox Jewish woman, Michal who is finally looking forward to the comfort and security of marriage (after having gone on 123 dates), when suddenly her fiancé's calls off the wedding with only a month's notice. Michal, who runs a mobile petting zoo (which adds humour to the film) refuses to return to lonely single life, decides to put her trust in G-d and continues with her wedding plans. She does all of this believing her groom will appear by her chosen wedding date of the 8th day of Chanukah.
Confident that the almighty will find a match for her made in heaven, she books a venue, sends out invitations and buys a wedding dress, as her skeptical mother and sister are worried and fearful of her risky plan. The comedy becomes more and more tense as the viewer wonders what the final outcome will be after Michal's exhaustive month-long search for a spouse. The plot serves up some unexpected diversions and red herrings. Michal employs two different matchmakers, and goes on a series of failed and at times unusual blind dates,finding an unexpected connection with a charming pop star (Oz Zehavi) when she goes on a pilgrimage to Uman in the Ukraine to pray at the grave of the Reb Nachman of Bratzlav, was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement, and the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov. Rebbe Nachman's religious philosophy revolved around closeness ot G-d and speaking to G-d in regular conversation "as you would with a best friend."
Michal dismisses pleas by concerned family members that she reconsider her risky plan, because of her faith that if she does her part in planning the wedding, the almighty will provide for her . The viewer is left rooting for this unusual and quirky heroine as the day of the ceremony grows closer and no groom appears (I will not tell you the ending so as not to spoil it).
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