A Matter of Size

Reviews

Israeli cinema is not known for its broad comedies, but that may have to change after "A Matter of Size," which is both very broad and very funny. Review by Daniel M. Kimmel The Jewish Advocate More

Director duo Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor have fashioned a look at a group of blue-collar Israeli men (and one woman) and how they came to accept who they are. Sounds like your usual coming-out tale, no? Review by Brett Michel The Boston Phoenix More

Fed up with dieting, four overweight friends in the Israeli city of Ramle decide to start a sumo wrestling club in genial situation comedy "A Matter of Size," from helmers Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor. Review by Alissa Simon Variety More

‘A Matter of Size” (“Sipur Gadol”) happens to be one of the Israeli entries in this year’s Tribeca Film Festival — but it addresses personal conflict rather than the more stereotypical geopolitical conflict. Review by Jordana Horn The Jewish Daily Forward More

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Synopsis:

Four overweight friends from the Israeli city of Ramle are fed up of dieting and the dieting club they belong to.

When Herzl (155 kilos), the main protagonist, loses his job as a cook and starts working as a dishwasher in a Japanese restaurant in Ramle he discovers the world of Sumo where large people such as himself are honoured and appreciated.

Through Kitano (60 kilos), the restaurant owner, a former Sumo coach in Japan (who is supposedly hiding from the Yakuza in Israel), he falls in love with a sport involving "two fatsos in diapers and girly hairdos". Herzl wants Kitano to be their coach but Kitano is reluctant - they first have to earn their spurs.

"A MATTER OF SIZE" is a comedy about a ‘coming out’ of a different kind - overweight people learning to accept themselves.

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Awards:

Winner of 3 Israeli Academy Awards!

Winner of 8 Film Festival Audience Awards!
- San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
- Washington Jewish Film Festival
- Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival
- Detroit Jewish Film Festival
- Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival
- Seattle Jewish Film Festival
- Rockland County Jewish Film Festival
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

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Film Details:

Country of Origin: Germany, 2009
Original Language: Hebrew | Japanese
Running Time: 90min
Primary Cast: Itzik Cohen, Irit Kaplan, Dvir Benedek, Alon Dahan, Levana Finkelstein, Togo Igawa
Directors: Erez Tadmor, Sharon Maymon
Screenwriters: Sharon Maymon, Danny Cohen-Solal
Producers: Chilik Michaeli, Avraham Pirchi, Tami Leon, Daniel Bauer, Oliver Simon
Co-Producer: Antoine de Clermont-Torrenne
Director of Photography: David Gurfinkel
Editor: Einat Glaser-Zarhin

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