Marry Me However

Eshel is partnering with Go2Films and Rabbi Mordechai Vardi, to bring his groundbreaking film, “Marry Me, However” to North American audiences.

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Marry Me However

About Marry Me However

The documentary tells the story of three gay men and two woman who marry against their orientation in order to fulfill religious and cultural expectations. We hear painful accounts of confusion, deception, anger and guilt. The film exposes how both the gay partners and their straight spouses suffer devastating consequences when they are expected to follow these norms. View Trailer.

Eshel’s Role

Eshel is conducting post-screening conversations with the filmmaker, Rabbi Mordechai Vardi, along with other panelists, some who have lived experiences similar to those in the film and others who can bring perspective and context the questions it raises. If you are interested in bringing this groundbreaking film to your community, please reach out to us at steve@eshelonline.org.

Upcoming Screenings & Panel Discussions

Past Screenings & Panel Discussions

Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia

Film Viewing Available: March 18-21, 2021

Panel Discussion: March 21, 2021

Miami Jewish Film Festival

Film Viewing: April 14-29, 2021

Los Angles Preview Screening

May 20, 2021

Private Event

Boston Area Screening & Panel

Film Viewing Available: May 23-26, 2021

Panel Discussion: May 26, 2021

Washington DC Jewish Film Festival

Film Viewing Available: May 23-30, 2021

Panel Discussion: May 27, 2021

Rabbi Panel Discussion

June 6, 2021

For Orthodox Rabbis Only

Toronto Jewish Film Festival

June 10, 2021

Cleveland Jewish Film Fest

June 13, 2021

JCC of Manhattan

October 19, 2021

Austin Jewish Film Festival

November 14, 2021

Baltimore Community Screening

January 23, 2022

Screening and Panel Discussion with JOFA

February 16, 2022

Your Support

The film explores the lives Orthodox-Jewish LGBTQ+ members who willingly choose to marry heterosexuals and raise a heteronormative family, obeying the rules of their societies while denying their own identities. Help Eshel spread the word and make LGBTQ+-inclusive communities.

Mordechai Vardi

The Director’s Statement

Part of my inspiration for making this film is based on personal experience. My two daughters went out on dates with devout yeshiva boys who were gay. Also, my experiences with my students who got married and then came out of the closet and later divorced led me to make this film.  For the women, marrying someone gay was disastrous. In many cases, their lives were ruined. They lost confidence in themselves and their ability to have healthy relationships with future partners.  When they have children, they have difficulty finding a religious partner who will agree to raise their children with them because the children’s father is gay. The women I knew went for many years after their divorce without a relationship. With this film,  I want to bring awareness to the religious leaders and communities that turn a blind eye that marrying a partner who cannot give them what they need, neither physically nor emotionally, can lead to a fractured family. This is a universal theme because in almost all religions around the world same-sex marriage is forbidden, and all over the world LGBT people try to disguise their identities so they can fit into their religious communities.

About Mordechai Vardi

Mordechai Vardi (62) graduated Master’s degree, in Film and Television at Tel Aviv University. Was the head of the screenwriting department at the”MAALE” Film School in for 20 years. He has produced and directed documentaries for various channels

Filmography

Directing short feature films: Question to Rabbi [9 minutes],Shomer Yisrael [15minutes],Marry me [15 minutes]

2007-Writing a Long Fiction Script-Halaka

Directing documentaries:
2010-Chasing the Shadow (Channel 2)
2014-Mother is not crazy (Yes Docu)
2016-The Field (Channel 8HOT)2018-Returning Light (8HOT Channel)
2020-Short docu-Seder night in question mark (Channel 8HOT)
2020-Marry Me However (Channel 8HOT)

Sign Up for Updates

If you are interested in bringing this groundbreaking film to your community, please reach out to us at steve@eshelonline.org.