DANCES WITH FILMS NEW YORK 2026 REVIEW! Have you ever wondered what true Christianity looks like? In this age of lip service and performance guised as religious actions, despite doing the opposite of what Jesus preached and/or did, it seems easy to forget. Enter iLan Azoulai’s directorial debut, Holy Ghetto. Written by Azoulai, with Gina Ann serving as a story consultant, the documentary is set in Tel Aviv and examines one minister’s approach to helping those in need.
Dave Fiquette grew up surrounded by drugs, sex, and other vices. After a tragedy in his teen years, the man began reading the Bible; an act that completely transformed his life. As an adult, Fiquette felt called to help the forgotten women — those sex trafficked with no escape, addicted to various substances, etc. — in Tel Aviv’s red light district. Thus, was born The Door Of Hope Shelter. It allows the abused women and victims to sleep, shower in a safe place, change into clean clothes, and eat for free.
Through the much-needed shelter, Holy Ghetto introduces the other subjects. Olga Filipov was out with a friend when they were abducted; she was only 17 years old. Yana Stren was addicted to drugs for years and years. She has five children and got clean to try be a role model for them. She now works at The Door Of Hope, but is still facing an uphill battle to regain custody of her offspring. Ohad Shaul is very upfront: he was a trafficker, luring young women in and then trapping them. He has left that lifestyle, though he remains haunted by his past actions. Azoulai himself also plays a role within the narrative.
“…allows the abused women and victims to sleep, shower in a safe place, change into clean clothes, and eat for free.”
Fiquette models exactly what Christianity should be throughout the 83-minute runtime. He’s patient (within reason) with the ladies who come through the shelter’s doors. He arrives early and stays late to ensure the place is clean and food is prepped. The moment where he discusses the four kinds of love highlights the good man he is and what religion has given him. It is all very engaging stuff.
In fact, each of the stories spotlighted here is fascinating. Filipov discussing being sold a few times and how each new “owner” treated her is heartbreaking. Stren throwing a tantrum about how the social workers are holding up her ability to see her kids is relatable. Shaul’s remorse shows that anyone can change for the better if they truly want to. The director lets these play out in their own words but shows struggling women on the street, crumbling housing structures, or the dire straits of the women in the shelter (one victim literally falls asleep in the kitchen before eating). It is hard to watch, but necessary.
However, the highlight of Holy Ghetto is the sand art. When subjects are telling something intensely harrowing, sand art brings it to life. Atop an orange-yellow glow, hands fashion black sand into a gun, a woman, traffickers, among other figures. It is unexpected, beautiful, and suits the documentary’s style wonderfully.
Holy Ghetto is very straightforward, but it needs to be. It shines a light on forgotten people who need help and the few who are trying to do so. The anecdotes are heartbreaking, surprising, and intense, giving the story a lot of weight. Azoulai captures it all with the right balance of heartache and sincerity. The use of sand art elevates the whole production to something truly beautiful to behold.
For more information, visit the official Holy Ghetto site. Holy Ghetto screened at the Dances with Films New York 2026.
"…truly beautiful..."
