The Golem

In 17th century Lithuania, Hanna (Hani Furstenberg) lives with her husband Benjamin (Ishai Golan) in a secluded Jewish community. After the loss of her child, Hanna secretly studies the Torah and discovers the mystical rituals for the creation of a golem - a living clay creature from Jewish folklore. When Christian invaders threaten the village and blame the Jews for a plague epidemic, Hanna summons the golem to protect her community. But the creature (Kirill Cernyakov), which looks like a child, develops an uncanny momentum of its own. What was intended as protection becomes a threat... “Golem - Rebirth” is an atmospheric folk horror film that combines Jewish mysticism with classic horror and occult motifs. The dark story about faith, loss and the danger when man becomes the creator offers a thrilling setting and strong visual moments. Despite interesting approaches, the film is unable to come up with any big effects, mainly due to its low budget, and ultimately cannot free itself from its predictability because it insists too strongly on familiar genre conventions. Nevertheless, “Golem” scores with its historical ambience and unusual mythological basis.