Song of Songs

2005 1h 21m EN

💀

4.3

SKIP

★4.3TMDB · 7

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Devoutly religious Ruth returns from Israel to care for her dying mother, but when she tries to bring her estranged brother David back into the fold, in accordance with her mother's wishes, the result is a startling journey into the darkest realms of sexual obsession: a forbidden game under the guise of religious law. Dark, ambiguous and distinctly adult, this study of belief and desire, set in the cloistered world of London's Orthodox Jewish community, thoughtfully explores the links between faith and violence, denial and longing.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Natalie Press
Ruth Cohen
Joel Chalfen
David Cohen
Julia Swift
Sarah Cohen
Félicité Du Jeu
Abigail
Amanda Boxer
Rachel Silverbaum
Philip Dunbar
Isaac
Amber Agar
Tanya
Leon Lissek
Rabbi Berg

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Josh Appignanesi
Writers: Josh Appignanesi, Jay Basu
Languages: English, Hebrew, Yiddish
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

81 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 21 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Hebrew, Yiddish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Josh Appignanesi, shot by Nanu Segal. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Roome. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nicolas Chaudeurge shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Natalie Press and Joel Chalfen and Julia Swift carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0462545 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Josh Appignanesi directs. Nanu Segal behind the camera. John Roome scores. Nicolas Chaudeurge cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English, Hebrew, Yiddish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 21 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Hebrew, Yiddish.
4Directed by Josh Appignanesi, shot by Nanu Segal. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John Roome. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Nicolas Chaudeurge shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Natalie Press and Joel Chalfen and Julia Swift carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0462545 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.