After quitting his job, Herzl finds a job at a Japanese restaurant as a dishwasher. His Japanese co-workers watch Sumo and they comment that Herzl is like a Sumo wrestler. The boss Kitano is a former Sumo referee. Fed up with the diet club and inspired by Sumo, Herzl is inspired to take up Sumo Wrestling. He enrolls his friends to participate and they all have other issues in their lives in addition to being "big." Aharon has problems with his marriage. Gidi is an in-the-closet gay "bear."
I don't want to say too much more about the plot and spoil it for anyone interested in watching it except that it's funny, entertaining, heart-warming and thought-provoking. I thought it was unusual to mix Israeli and Japanese culture.This is also a multilingual film with dialogue spoken in English, Japanese and Hebrew.
This film definitely deserved to win some awards and it did! It's a very enjoyable film directed by Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor. Sharon also worked on the screenplay. Those watching this film might also enjoy the soundtrack.
Herzl (which by the way in German means "little heart!') is played by Itzik Cohen and his love interest Zehava is played by Irit Kaplan. Kitano is played by Togo Igawa who lives in England and was the first Japanese actor to become a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company!
Here are some quotes from this film:
"Don't forget... with your mouth...we only talk."---Geula, diet club consultant
"Got married. Got divorced. Then got married again, then divorced...gained 10 kilos each time."---Zehava
"You're just a cook at a salad bar. So don't feel so heavy at the heart."---boss to Herzl
"But even on a diet you've got to eat. Do you want to starve to death?"--Herzl's mother to Herzl
"Hey, he looks just like a sumo wrestler!"---Japanese restaurant co-workers about Herzl
"No hot water again! And you call yourself a plumber!"---Aharon's wife
"It's crucial when and how much we eat. Cuz hunger is our slave, not our king."---Geula
"What's the deal? Does everyone have to be thin? You decided that fat is sick and we ate it all up. They're selling us self-hate here!"---Herzl
"So, should we get a little dirty?"---Zehava to Herzl
"Just since you haven't been able to fit in store-bought clothes."---Herzl's mother about her sewing
"Hope you don't like having sex in the dark."---Zehava
"When I was here in the sumo ring, I felt healthy for the first time in my life."---Herzl
"You think I'd cry about such nonsense? I've been hurt so many times before, I've lost count. I've got skin as thick as an elephants's."---Zehava
"I'm not wearing that. I'm no faggot."---Aharon
"My wife didn't cheat on me because I'm fat but because I'm a bad husband."---Aharon
Here are some scenes from this film:
Here's the official trailer for this film:
