Since I just mentioned this elsewhere, I figure I’m overdue for recommending this here. Who’s Gonna Love Me Now is a documentary about Saar Maoz, a gay Israeli man who was forced out of his religious kibbutz where he grew up, moved to London, lived there for about 20 years, and was (during the time of the documentary) rebuilding his connections with his family, and deciding whether to return to Israel. (I won’t spoil it by giving his decision.)

Other than proving my very limited ability to understand contemporary spoken Hebrew, I found it a strong, enjoyable documentary. It’s a bit weak on details - his parents appear to be separated, but that was never explicitly stated. His background at the beginning, that of breaking up with his first serious love, reacting by cutting lose in the London gay scene, only to become HIV , quickly generates empathy, while his membership in the London Gay Men’s Chorus makes it relatable both for those of us who don’t connect with Israel, orthodoxy, or kibbutzim and our friends and partners who aren’t Jewish (though I’ll admit I watched it without my husband). It takes a bit more effort to understand both sides of some issues, such as a letter he received from his father when he was much younger that wasn’t intended to be cruel but was taken as such. Then there’s the brother who’s totally supportive and the one who’s scared to have him around his kids.

Some scenes seem a bit set up, such as when that homophobic’s brother’s wife chimes in with her support for Saar, disagreeing with her husband. I’m also curious about one scene, where Saar is standing back at a weekday morning service while visiting the kibbutz for a nephew’s bar mitzvah. He’s not participating, but we see a congregant in a B’Nai Or Rainbow Tallit, which given the history of that Tallit in the Jewish Renewal movement makes me think it wouldn’t by the Orthodox who one presumes would comprise the rest of the congregation.

Obviously documentaries aren’t the same as fictional dramas, but I do recommend folks take a look at this. It’s currently on Netflix (US, don’t know about other countries).