The Great Sadness of Zohara

Menkes’ first significant film announces the arrival of a precocious cinematic voice.

Menkes’ cinematic voice arrives fully formed in this atmospheric portrait of an orthodox Jewish woman who embarks on a mysterious pilgrimage. It was shot with little money – and no crew – on location in Israel and North Africa. An early collaboration between Menkes and sister Tinka, the film blends vivid 16mm with eerie sound design (whistling wind, disembodied breathing) to create a mesmeric exploration of isolation and exile.