At times humorous, at others tortured, Phobidilia peeks into the cloistered life of an unnamed young man in his 20's. Our hero (Ofer Shecter), is an agoraphobic software developer who has been unable to leave the safety of his apartment for several years.With the conveniences of satellite television, the Internet and telephone, our hero's basic, and not so basic, needs are aptly met. Spending several years in relative seclusion has taken its toll, however -- with little-to-no interaction with other people, reality and dream, fact and fiction blend together, leaving him incapable of understanding the motives and emotions of other human beings. He sees the world outside like a Spanish soap opera -- mundane events taking on layers of drama, intrigue and suspense with daily events narrated by a cliche TV voice-over.
Our hero is content in his solitude as ruler over his own, private kingdom. With so few subjects, there are few variables that fall beyond his control. When telemarketer Daniella (Efrat Boimold) inserts herself into his closed-off kingdom, our hero finds himself longing for true human interaction. When he's forced to confess the truth about his circumstances, Daniela finds ways to join him -- the two go on imaginary dates, strolling hand-in-hand through a flower-filled forest and relaxing on a sun-lit park bench.
His carefully-constructed lifestyle is further thrown into chaos when Grumps (Shlomo Bar-Shavit), a grandfatherly real estate agent, tries to force the hero from his home, claiming the landlord wishes to sell. Ofer's character goes to great lengths to frigthen away potential renters, and the ensuing war obliterates the complacent peace both our hero and Gumps -- a Holocaust survivor -- have found in their respective lives. After surviving the Holocaust hidden in a hole on a Polish farm, Grumps understands the pain, fear and challenge of rejoining the world, and the importance of forcing yourself to do so.
Phobidilia delves into the all-encompassing power of fear. Schecter's portrayal of the reclusive young hero is frightfully genuine. You desperately want him to move forward through his fear but sympathize with his desperate plight for things to remain unchanged.
Phobidilia is a darkly interesting and captivating film, and certainly one of my personal picks for CIFF 2010. You can catch Phobidilia at the Globe Theatre, Monday, September 27th at 9:15pm.
