The disengagement of Israel from Gaza in 2005 is the background for this poignant story of one women’s determination in the face of hardship. Ronit Balaban runs the family hothouse which exports plants to Europe. She is capable, strong and determined. While her country is in the midst of disengaging from the region she calls home – her husband had already disengaged from life many years before. Yaakov was the victim of a terror attack which left him disfigured. His inability to cope with his deformity has made him withdrawn and remote. This inspired documentary is the story of one strong woman who struggles to keep her family, her marriage and above all – her hothouse working and flourishing.
Awards
- Bronze Remi Award - WorldFest Houston International Film Festival, USA, 2010
Festivals
- WorldFest Houston International Film Festival, USA, 2010
- India Int'l Women Film Festival, Special Showcase for Ruth Diskin Films, December 2009
Additional info
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Hothouse ***1/2
Idit Gan-Zvi’s compelling documentary follows a maladjusted Israeli husband and wife who run a gardening hothouse business in occupied Gaza. Yakov, who founded the business years earlier, was once a prominent extrovert, but today lives a nearly secluded life following his disfigurement in a roadside assault. Ronit has taken over the daily management of the hothouse but finds herself overwhelmed by pressures: the need to relocate the operation following Israel’s withdrawal (or, as the Israelis refer to it, “disengagement”) from Gaza, the threat of looming bankruptcy, and the emotional hardship created by Yakov’s increasingly troublesome behavior. Hothouse is a painful film to watch as Yakov and Ronit fight with their inner demons, a tumultuous environment, and each other. Although viewers might wonder why the film never questions Yakov and Ronit’s initial decision to settle in Palestinian territory under Israeli military control, this is nonetheless a disturbing view of a couple in crisis that skillfully intertwines the personal and the political. Highly recommended.
Video Librarian, November, 2010