A MATTER OF SIZE

Herzl (Itzik Cohen) is an overweight, underemployed chef living at home with his mother in the Israeli city of Ramla. Unable to find a job cooking, he becomes a dishwasher at a Japanese restaurant. One day he notices his coworkers watching sumo wrestling on TV. To Herzl, sumo is a revelation, an escape from the dictatorship of diets espoused by his weight-loss group. With three hefty pals in tow, Herzl decides to pursue the sport where his size is an asset.

Codirectors Erez Tadmor (Strangers, TFF '08) and Sharon Maymon (who also cowrote the script) have created a feel-good comedy reminiscent of crowd-pleasers like The Full Monty. The result is a sweet, touching, funny, and relatable story of self-acceptance and determination. Utilizing a talented and versatile group of actors, Tadmor, Maymon, and cowriter Danny Cohen-Solal give us a collection of extremely likable characters who realize that in both life and love, they'll only discover their greatest happiness by paying attention to what's inside and to the power of their individual spirits.