A Matter of Size

Colour, 35 mm
Israel, Germany, France, 2009, 90 min
EP – European premiere
Section: Another View

Synopsis

Love, laughter, and sumo wrestling. Why bother with dieting when you can step into the ring? Four friends come to a realization that ultimately introduces numerous comic situations, and calls attention to the social pressures bearing down on overweight people. The movie uses sumo wrestling as a tool of recognition and revolt within our diet-obsessed world, and also shows the sport as a means of coming to terms with personal problems. Can sumo help the protagonists better their social situation and bring peace to their disordered lives? Each of the characters conceals secrets and personality quirks that allow the film to build interest, laughter, and tension. The filmmakers don’t let any chances for humor slip by, and they make the most of pratfalls, comic counterpoint, and verbal exchanges. Nevertheless, neither do they shy away from entertaining considerations about death. Although their protagonists are overweight, they don’t use this fact to start sneering, and despite their understanding for the heroes’ plight, they never resort to false compassion.

About the director

Erez Tadmor (b. 1974, Herzlia, Israel) graduated in film from Camera Obscura School of Arts in Tel Aviv, and his first short, Moosh (2001), was presented at 40 festivals, winning at many. In 2003, he took part in the Berlinale Talent Campus. Another short he codirected, Strangers (2004), competed at Sundance and became the basis of his feature debut of the same name (2008). A Matter of Size is the director’s second feature.

Sharon Maymon (Ramle, Israel) studied film at Camera Obscura School of Arts in Tel Aviv where his graduation project was the short Holes (2000). In 2005, he was a writer for the Israeli TV sitcom "Sketch Show”, and he followed this up with the 40-minute film Mortgage (2006), which he co-wrote and co-directed. For his feature directorial debut, A Matter of Size, Maymon also chalked up story and co-screenwriting credits. He is currently at work on the black comedy My Sweet Euthanasia.