In Satmar custody

It is a closed and almost unknown community. These ultra-orthodox Jews that call themselves ‘Satmar’ and live in America are barely noticed in their own country, but abroad they constitute an active anti-Zionist movement. In Yemen, poor Jewish families are persuaded not to emigrate to Israel, but to America, where the prospect of a warm welcome is held out to them. In practice, this turns out differently, as is demonstrated by the harrowing story of Yahia and Lauza Jaradi. These Yemenite Jews and their children were lured to America by the Satmar community in 1994. A few years later, things go terribly wrong: their little daughter Hadiyah lapses into a coma and dies, and Lauza is charged with murder. The reality turns out to be far shadier, as director Nitzan Gilady reveals in ´IN SATMAR CUSTODY´. The camera closely follows the family, especially the desperate Yahia. At other times it remains hidden in the bushes and behind walls, to spy on the meetings Yahia has with different advisors. The result is a thriller-like documentary that does not offer cut-and-dried answers. But, the film does make it clear how negligence and fundamentalism can be so destructive for individual victims.