Keshet Int’l boards Israeli drama ‘The Women’s Balcony’

The Women’s Balcony

Keshet International (KI) has picked up global sales rights to Pie Films’ eight-part drama The Women’s Balcony (Ismach Hatani).

The show is based on the 2016 film of the same name and is set in the close-knit neighbourhood of Jerusalem’s Bukharim Quarter.

It was written by Shlomit Nehama and produced by Pie Films’ producers Osnat Handelsman Keren and Talia Kleinhendler, who recently completed production on Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter.

The 8 x 40-minute show tracks how five women at the heart of the community find themselves at a personal crossroads when a face from the past returns. It stars Line in the Sand and Fauda starTsahi Levi alongside the original cast, which includes Orna Banai, Einat Saruf, Itzik Cohen and Herzl Tobey.

KI said the show had become Israel’s second most-watched drama since 2015, following its recent premiere on Keshet 12.

Karni Ziv, head of drama & comedy at Keshet Broadcasting, said: “Following its box office success here and abroad, and having seen the way audiences fell in love with the women portrayed so warmly and authentically by Pie Films, ordering a series to explore what’s next for this wonderfully tight-knit community made complete sense.”

Keren Shahar, COO and president of KI, added: “We love this series because it shows another side of Israeli culture – a typically moderate religious close-knit community in Jerusalem – and captivates viewers with the compassion, respect and love its characters display for each other throughout.”