Next to Her

Chelli, the twentysomething protagonist of Asaf Korman’s NEXT TO HER, spends day and night on guard. At work she polices the locked gates of a high school in Israel. A typical day ends with rowdy teens rattling the gates and screaming for Chelli to let them free. At home Chelli is the primary caregiver for her mentally challenged 24-year-old sister Gabby. Chelli feeds, bathes, and even sleeps alongside her sister. Social worker Shifra does not approve of Gabby being left alone while Chelli works. Yet, Chelli and Gabby’s detached mother, who lives with a new husband, is unwilling to offer any more financial support, and Chelli is opposed to putting Gabby in a mental institution. When Shifra files a report about Chelli’s negligent behavior, Chelli reluctantly enrolls Gabby in a day care center. With some of her responsibilities lifted, Chelli begins dating Zohar, a substitute teacher. In a matter of weeks, Chelli and Gabby’s entire existence changes. But Chelli has the harder time adjusting. (In Hebrew with subtitles) – E.B.