How to Say Silence

A photo found by the filmmaker at her grandmother’s house after her death seemed strange. She has a pregnant belly. But she had told the story of adopting the director’s father because she was not able to conceive. Her old friends explained the kibbutz decided state-building efforts preclude giving birth, and she had an abortion that damaged her womb. This set the director’s curiosity about her biological grandmother. The adoption file told of Shoshana, 16, an Iraqi immigrant who got pregnant out of wedlock. Her sister revealed that the family abused her but she refused to give up the baby, who was eventually taken from her. Both suffered patriarchal oppression and remained silent. The grandmothers’ stories led the filmmaker to confront her parents about her own silence on sexual abuse in the family. For the sake of the three, she must break silence.