Lucy Thompson reviews the tense and striking Next To Her
Next to Her is a poignant and heartrending Israeli drama about the bond between two sisters, Chelli (Liron Ben-Shlush) and Gabby (Dana Ivgy), who has severe autism. Chelli and Gabby live together in a dilapidated apartment, falling asleep together on the sofa to the sound of their rowdy neighbours.
Social services force Chelli to enlist Gabby in a daycare centre and Chelli’s jealousy and their unhealthy co-dependence becomes apparent. The lines between love and cruelty become increasingly blurred when Chelli meets security guard Zohar (Yaakov Zada Daniel) and he enters their intensely small world.
The performances of Chelli and Zohar are incredibly nuanced and throughout the film we are uncertain of their motivations. This reminds reviewers in some ways of Ex Machina with the focus on three complex people and the way the film thrives in suspicion and curiosity of its characters. Do we trust Chelli’s new boyfriend or rather do we even trust Chelli?
There is an intimate scene of Gabby and Chelli bathing, the camera settling on their interlocking limbs where Chelli’s love and frustration manifests into something sinister. The film does an excellent job of portraying no clear villains or heroes, but normal people in extremely difficult circumstances. The claustrophobia of their relationship is captured with close up shots, such as Chelli’s persistent cuddling of Gabby and the set up in their cluttered apartment.
The film actually draws on the personal experience of director Asaf Korman’s wife Liron (who plays Chelli) and you can tell there is an authentic voice at the heart of it. The film is unsanitised and honest, addressing Gabby’s sexuality and avoiding reducing her as infantilised and asexual, the treatment the disabled receive in many films. Gabby is vital and hearty, contrasting strongly with the often cold and restrained Chelli.
Dana Ivgy who has been previously nominated for three Ophir Awards is a triumph as Gabby in this powerful physical performance, communicating only through noises. It is difficult to tell that Ivgy is acting and it is clear she has spent months researching and honing the details of the role, such as the detached gaze, which is common for some sufferers of autism. The way in which Ivgy emits Gabby’s pain, sadness, love and moments of pure happiness through a nearly non-verbal performance is astonishing.
This is an unsettlingly and compassionate story of the sacrifice people make for those they love and a brilliant debut from Asaf Korman.
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