The Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai's background in documentaries is clearly evident in Kadosh, a keenly observed and passionate exploration of women living under Orthodox Judaism.

Clearly a contentious issue, Gitai's script, written with the French Jewish novelist Eliette Abecassis was refused three times by the Israeli Film Commission. Set in Mea Shearim, an ultra-Orthodox area of Jerusalem, it tells the story of two sisters, both trapped in different ways by their oppressive religion.

Rivka (Yael Abecassis), has been married to Meir (Yoram Hattab) for 10 years, but remains childless. Although she knows that it is her husband who is sterile, she is unable to share this information since tests are forbidden. The community's rabbi mandates that "the only task of a daughter of Israel is bringing children into the world," and suggests Meir scouts around for another, younger woman to help secure his lineage.

Meanwhile Rivka's sister Malka (Meital Barda) is relishing an affair with Yaakov (Sami Hori), an individualist who has escaped Orthodox Judaism and taken to playing music in the bars of Jerusalem's new town. But again the rabbi weighs in, insisting Malka marry his assistant, a Talmudic scholar. This marriage may be ice-cold and violent, but at least religious law is being obeyed.

As Rivka hides, and Malka rebels, drama courses through this intelligent film. The slow pace gives Gitai's ideas room to breathe and his documentarist's eye plenty of opportunity to absorb cultural and geographical detail. He also draws fine performances from the actors, most notably Yael Abecassis and Meital Barda.

Michael Thomson