In the lush melodrama “Three Mothers,” Israeli filmmaker Dina Zvi-Riklis tests the bonds between siblings to a breathtaking degree. In fact, “Three Sisters” would have been a more apt title if Chekhov hadn’t gotten there first.
A carefully constructed saga of loyalty, betrayal, revenge and sublimated sorrow that spans 60 years, “Three Mothers” is that rare Israeli film that could be set anywhere from Brooklyn to Bristol. The political climate is rarely mentioned, while the family dynamic is universal.
“Three Mothers” is a beautifully mounted and acted movie that is harrowing in its emotional bluntness. It is the March 1 closing-night film of the 12th annual Contra Costa International Jewish Film Festival.
The film skips back and forth between the present and the past, beginning with the birth of triplets Rose, Yasmin and Flora six decades ago in Alexandria, Egypt. Now they share a flat in Tel Aviv in an uneasy truce that’s about to be broken.
Yasmin’s doctor informs her that she’s running out of time in her protracted wait for a kidney donor and, a bit stunned, she drops in at her niece’s office to unburden herself of some old family history. Rucha, Rose’s daughter, videotapes the testimonies and last testaments of seniors and edits those oral histories into keepsake DVDs. So she switches on the camera, and Yasmin opens up.
Every family has two sides — the accepted version that’s trotted out at family gatherings, and the secret past — and this one is no exception. Yasmin begins by relating the familiar, then stuns Rucha with a mysterious revelation.
The triplets were born into privilege and prestige — their mother was a midwife whose services were valued at King Farouk’s palace. Alas, it was there that she contracted typhus, leaving her husband to raise three young girls alone.
The revolution and the end of the monarchy in Egypt compel the family to immigrate to Israel. Father makes a decent living running a spice shop, but one gets the impression that by the time they hit their teens the sisters are essentially raising themselves. Rose, for example, aspires to be a singer over her father’s objections, and Flora and Yasmin dutifully cover for her late-night forays to nightclubs.
It’s a pattern that will be repeated numerous times: Rose lives the wild life and her sisters provide alibis. The time will come, though, when all three will suffer the consequences of her narcissism.
Rucha, who’s been trying with her husband to get pregnant for some time, is discombobulated by her aunt’s revelations. She prods her mother for information, and Rose tells Flora, who hustles over to Rucha’s office to record her own “confession” and pick up the tale where Yasmin left off.
Now the story really gets juicy, with the sisters finding husbands and settling into family life with varying levels of satisfaction. Suffice it to say that the men, for all their charm and devotion, are never able to approach the level of profound connection with their wives that the sisters share.
A construction-site accident involving Yasmin and Flora’s husbands transforms everyone’s life forever, and sets in motion a chain of events that comprise the untold family history. Ultimately, decades after the fact, it will fall to Rucha to try to heal some of the lingering damage.
The screenplay is rife with incident, yet “Three Mothers” largely manages to avoid turning into soap opera. Give credit to Zvi-Riklis for not ladling on a sweeping, swelling score.
There is plenty of lovely music, though, notably Rose’s songs. The poetic yet pointed lyrics comment on the progression of the drama while conveying a vivid sense of Israel in the ’60s. The gorgeous, spine-tingling number that Rose sings in Arabic to celebrate Anwar Sadat’s historic visit to Israel is a high point.
“Three Mothers” is an ambitious and satisfying film, despite the occasional contrivance. It provides a deeply empathetic yet unblinking view of sisterhood — and, yes, motherhood — that is not easily forgotten.
“Three Mothers” screens 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1 at the Brenden Theatres, 1985 Willow Pass Road, Concord. Tickets: $9-$10. Information: www.jfed.org/filmfest007.