Keep Not Silent

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Keep Not Silent
Directed by	Ilil Alexander
Distributed by	Women Make Movies
Release date(s)	2004
Country	Israel

Keep Not Silent (2004) is a documentary film by Israeli director Ilil Alexander, about three lesbians in Jerusalem. It won the Israeli Academy Award for best documentary in 2004 as well as 8 international awards including two audience awards in Berlin and Italy.

Lesbianism is generally viewed as forbidden in Orthodox Judaism (see Homosexuality and Judaism). In Jerusalem, a number of Orthodox Jewish lesbians formed a group called OrthoDykes for mutual support and to learn the relevant issues in Jewish law. The film describes lives of three of them. One is Yudit, single and trying to have her same-sex marriage follow the Orthodox rules. Another is Miriam-Ester (pseudonym), who is married to a man and has ten children. She is suppressing her lesbian feelings in order to keep her marriage for religious reasons. Ruth, another married lesbian, keeps her marriage for the same reason, while her husband agrees to her seeing her lover regularly.

AWARDS:

INDIA: Mumbai Intl. Film Festival, Best First Feature Doc 
CHINA: Guangzhou Intl Doc FF, Best Director
GERMANY: Berlin Int'l Jewish FF, Audience Award 
TEL AVIV: Best First Feature Doc, DocAviv Int'l Doc FF 
DENMARK: Copenhagen Int'l Gay & Lesbian Fest, Best Doc 
ITALY: Torino Gay & Lesbian FF, Audience Award 
ISRAEL: Int'l Women's Film Festival Israel, Best Film 
U.S.A: Outfest LA Gay & Lesbian FF, Freedom Award 
ISRAEL: The Open House, Jerusalem, First Award
The Israeli Academy Award for Best Documentary  

[edit] See also

• Trembling Before G-d (2001)
• Homosexuality and Judaism
• Say Amen (2005) a documentary about a gay man coming out to his Orthodox family
• Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School[1]

[edit] External links

• OrthoDykes For Orthodox Jewish lesbians
• Keep Not Silent at the Women Make Movies Website