A family ensures safety. It provides a sense of security besides emotional bonding. And no matter which part of the globe we live in, the belief is shared about this social construct. Ideally, you give some part of yourself to make sense of it or to find the share of each member, equal or justified. Kibbutz from Israel is formed on similar notions. It is a collective community formed on an idea of joint ownership of property, equality, and cooperation of production. Yona Rozenkier's ‘Parparim' (translated as Butterflies) tells the narrative of a family from one of such kibbutz.
On one of the days, the family of three chooses to go on a road-trip around the countryside. Their life appears mundane to a foreign viewer, at least on the surface. It appears like just another day where this elderly couple has just another routine conversation. This couple, which is at the dawn of their life, speak with their middle-aged son. There is almost a friction in their conversations that does not meet the naked eye. And there is an underlying emotion behind the weariness, besides it being a part of their life.
An incident triggers their underlying feelings. Nothing particularly significant, but a very casual activity between the characters snitches out the band-aid over it. They become emotionally naked, as most of us do in regard to our family members. ‘Parparim' finds this sentimentality without the overtly sentimental techniques. It builds these characters who are trying to find a breathing moment from something that is burdening them. The younger member tries to lighten the mood, to get rid of visible gloominess. Yet, there is an undeniable invisible factor that keeps them on a pedestal.
The universality of the family dynamics is what makes the film emotionally engaging. In many cultures, the feelings are hardly ever spoken about, for one considers that the family has enough bonding to recognize it. The said gloominess from the film is not provided with any particular reasoning. Yet, it makes emotional sense since the very fabric of interpersonal communication in their family is built considerably well by the director.
There is a constant effort to ignore the presence of sadness or to cover it with an overarching joyfulness. The bittersweet moments are incredibly organic as a result of such an acute understanding that even the measly eight minutes can evoke an array of emotions, thanks to the director Yona Rozenkier, who has also written the script of ‘Parparim'.
Besides that, the choices are very precise in terms of the number of scenes making the final cut or about the camera angles. Oded Ashkenazi's cinematography focuses on how the emotions of the family members unfold the narrative. That makes the pleasing shots even more appealing since we see the landscape through their eyes.
Much of this collective work results in a highly earnest effort that deserves praise just as much for keeping everything minimal. Every emotion comes floating due to the gentle and highly humane way of presenting it. And as a result, Israel Bright's musical piece also stays with you for much longer.
