Educational Media Reviews Online

Taking place in Israel, All Happy Mornings is a documentary film that chronicles director Omer Yefman's internal turmoil over his need to feel 'complete' by having sex with men while still maintaining a long-term relationship with a woman. Shot with a simple camcorder, Yefman artfully weaves his own commentary with intimate conversations between lovers and family members on their thoughts about his sexual desires. He also incorporates the point of view of his longtime romantic partner, Chen, who expresses her feelings about Yefman's yearning for men.

To balance the serious gravity of the couple's frustrations over Yefman's sexual desires outside their relationship, the director interjects into the film moments of comic relief as provided by his assertive and outspoken grandchild-less mother and accepting father. Even with loving parents, however, the audience is able to sense the underlying tensions between the director and his family. Throughout the film, Yefman struggles with a crucial life question his mother poses to him: Would he able to have a 'normal' family and produce an heir?

All Happy Mornings is recommended for gender studies and sociology courses focusing on the correlation between social norms, family dynamics and sexuality. The film will also be useful for examining and discussing cross-cultural viewpoints on hetero-normative values, family and male sexuality.