USHPIZIN (Complete in Hebrew - Part 1 of 2 - runtime 46:53) - A Warmhearted, Upbeat Fable in an Exotic Setting - the award-winning Ushpizin (2004) is a pleasant little film that takes place in an ultra-Orthodox community in modern-day Jerusalem, but its message is universal. The dialogue is in Hebrew, and the DVD provides English and Spanish subtitles. The story is about the clash between the religious and the secular, but what I like best about the movie is its humanism. The central character in Ushpizin is Moshe Bellanga (Shuli Rand), a Hasidic Jew who is married to Malli (played by Shuli's wife Michal Bat-Sheva Rand). Moshe and Malli are poor, but they take comfort in their religion, which places an emphasis on spirituality and joy. They are strongly committed to their marriage of nearly five years, but it is a matter of paramount concern to them that they have no child. When the film opens, Moshe and Malli are in dire financial straits. They're ducking their landlord and running low on food. But a charity picks them at random and anonymously delivers to them a thousand American dollars in cash. In the Bellangas' world-view, the money represents a miracle in answer to their prayers. The story is set during the festival of Sukkot, when each family in the Bellangas' community uses materials like plywood and palm fronds to make a temporary structure called a sukkah. During a week-long celebration, each family spends a lot of time inside their sukkah, and it's considered a blessing to entertain guests there. That's why Moshe is at first delighted when an old pal from his past unexpectedly drops by, accompanied by a friend, and he invites them to stay in his sukkah. However, the guests, who are escaped convicts and very secular, are so inconsiderate that they put stress on Moshe and Malli's marriage and threaten the harmony of the entire neighborhood. But the Bellangas try to be hospitable toward their rude guests anyway, believing that their faith is being tested.