The World Is Funny

The film opens with adults in a creative writing workshop in the Tiberias public library. The session is led by Roni, whose home water supply is constantly getting cut off, compelling him to habitually ask his across-the-hall neighbor Yardena if he can use her shower. This arrangement introduces the intimate dependencies and everyday humor that thread through the characters' lives.

Yardena, long divorced and the bereaved mother of a soldier killed in an IDF training accident, discovers she is pregnant after years without sex. The news adds complexity to her precarious situation and deepens her sense of responsibility. It foreshadows how new life intersects with old grief in the family.

Yardena is the eldest of three siblings who were orphaned when she was eight. The backstory hints at a childhood defined by loss and responsibility she continues to shoulder as an adult. This history helps explain her cautious, protective stance toward her family.

Meiron is the second sibling, a bitter widower and father of Chilik and Nesi. His grief and cynicism fuel controlling behavior and a tendency to sabotage relationships. He also routinely arranges blind dates for himself, only to derail them with his sharp tongue.

Nesi wakes from a nine-year-long coma caused by the same car accident that killed his mother. He keeps asking where his mother is, a question that haunts the family and inches the past into the present. His awakening reframes family dynamics as they confront unresolved grief.

Meiron continues to arrange blind dates for himself, but sabotages them with his mean-spiritedness. This behavior reveals a pattern of avoidance and self-sabotage that complicates any possibility of connection. The dates become small, revealing moments that highlight the broader family tensions.

Golan, the younger brother, is in love with Natasha, who is undergoing cancer treatments and prone to angry mood swings. Natasha's illness adds vulnerability and urgency to their romance and to the family's fragile balance. Golan's feelings push him to bridge the gaps that have kept the siblings separated.

Golan's goal in life is to secure a tribute performance by his hero Shaike Levi for Natasha, a fan who adores the comedian. The plan binds pop culture to their personal hopes and gives him a purposeful mission amid family tensions. The pursuit highlights how cultural icons serve as anchors in difficult times.

Yardena, Meiron, and Golan have not spoken for years, a rift that worries Natasha and unsettles any chance of reconciliation. The absence of communication haunts gatherings and keeps old wounds fresh. Natasha begs Golan to reach out to his siblings, underscoring the tension between resentment and family duty.

Tsafi, a young twenty-something who cleans the houses of all the others, quietly keeps the social fabric intact. Despite coming from wealthy parents, she embodies resilience and practical care, moving between the central characters' lives. Her presence offers a grounded, humanizing foil to their troubles.

Throughout the film, the characters quote lines from Shaike Levi's 1960s cult-status troupe haGashash haChivèr. Golan, who hosts the town's morning radio show, frequently airs haGashash routines. The troupe's humor threads through conversations, giving the group a shared cultural lens and a comedic touch amid hardship.