After praying for a child, an impoverished and childless Hasidic couple are visited by a pair of escaped convicts during Sukkot. With the film's title, ('Ushpizin' is the Aramaic word for ‘guests’) referencing the seven mystical visitors who are welcomed on this holiday, the intelligent script coyly presents these convicts as a test of the couple’s hospitality and faith.  Predating films such as Fill the Void, Ushpizin made a splash upon its initial release as the first movie made by members of the ultra-Orthodox community in collaboration with secular filmmakers and aimed for general audiences. Over 15 years later, the film’s humour and warmth still charms and has something to teach about humility and kindness.

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