Ahasverus, king of Persia and Media, puts aside Vashti and makes Esther his queen, choosing her among maidens in a kingdom stretching from India to Ethiopia. Esther, using information from Mordecai, her uncle and patron, saves the king from assassination. Haman, the king's favorite, is miffed when Mordecai won't bow to him, so he orders death to all Jews in the kingdom, under the seal of the king. Esther pleads for her people, and Mordecai is in turn given license to make his own edict under the king's seal. Mordecai loses sight of his original intention, and bloody murder ensues. Purim annually celebrates the story. At the end of the film, the actors comment.
Keywords
- Middle East Focus: Amos Gitai and Michel Khleifi
- Panorama: Amos Gitai
- Religion
Actors
- Simone Benyamini
- Juliano Mer-Khamis
- Zare Vartanian
- David Cohen
- Shmuel Wolf
Director
- Amos Gitai
Drama
1h 37min
HEBREW
ENGLISH
FRENCH
DUTCH
In “Esther”, the queen saves her people from Haman, an anti-Jewish plot, leading to a tragic ending celebrated at Purim.
In “Esther”, the queen saves her people from Haman, an anti-Jewish plot, leading to a tragic ending celebrated at Purim.
Ahasverus, king of Persia and Media, puts aside Vashti and makes Esther his queen, choosing her among maidens in a kingdom stretching from India to Ethiopia. Esther, using information from Mordecai, her uncle and patron, saves the king from assassination. Haman, the king's favorite, is miffed when Mordecai won't bow to him, so he orders death to all Jews in the kingdom, under the seal of the king. Esther pleads for her people, and Mordecai is in turn given license to make his own edict under the king's seal. Mordecai loses sight of his original intention, and bloody murder ensues. Purim annually celebrates the story. At the end of the film, the actors comment.
Cast & Crew
Director
Amos Gitai
Cast
Simone Benyamini
Cast
Juliano Mer-Khamis
Cast
Zare Vartanian
Cast
David Cohen
Cast
Shmuel Wolf