"When I was 18, after talking to my bridal counselor about the wedding night, I found myself looking for a street bench. I was so dizzy I thought I was going to faint. And I couldn't help but think - how could God have chosen such a forbidden place for the creation of new life?"
This is what Batya “Bessy” shared with us when we first met. Through our exploration and collaboration, Rudy has emerged - the embodiment of our shared experiences and memories, through her we delve deep into the intricate concept of womanhood: female sexuality, femininity, hidden desires, female solidarity, and self-discovery.
Our protagonist will have to choose between what is expected of her - societal norms, community responsibility, and her status - against the awakening of her inner desires. Our series explores sexuality, particularly from the perspective of those for whom it is traditionally denied or suppressed.
The series is set within the unique community of the Gur Hasidic sect, where a distinct and rigid separation exists between men and women. Relationships within this community are minimized to the bare minimum, and sexual relations are referred to as ""The Mitzvah,"" while the vagina is euphemistically called ""That Place” or “That Hole”. We also aim to shed light on the practice of ""bridal instruction"" and its unwavering rules that demand the erasure of the female body and the suppression of female pleasure. Countless women adhere to these rules daily, leading to a detachment from their own bodies and natural desires, all in the name of Halakha laws that are said to protect them.
We want to swing open the gates of the Haredi world and venture in via personal experience. As creators who are still connected to this world, our gaze is multi-dimensional and nuanced, presenting the beauty alongside the ugliness through both loving and critical eyes.
The series will intimately capture the intricate details known solely to those who have lived through them, such as the bloodstained underwear in the husband's pocket on the way to the rabbi for purity rulings; the KY jelly that every woman must apply before intimate relations; the headaches caused by the pins that secure the wig; the pain during the performance of “The Mitzvah”; and the revelation of a first orgasm without prior knowledge of its existence.