Trembling Before God Details

A heart-rending dilemma confronts the gay and lesbian subjects of Sandi Simcha DuBowski's documentary: their faith considers their sexuality to be an “abomination”. Consequently, the majority are shown in shadow for fear of outing themselves and being ostracised by their Hasidic or Orthodox Jewish communities. The discussion of rigorous prayer regimes and aversion therapies intended to “cure” them is as disturbing as the testimony of those who admit to having lived their entire lives as a lie. However, DuBowski has such limited room for manoeuvre — the delicate situation of nearly all the interviewees precludes both contact with estranged family members and the chance to locate their experiences in a wider context — that there is little opportunity for any real revelations.

"...Stunning... Fascinating... How it got overlooked at Oscar time is a mystery..."