With a nod to the work of Roman Polanski, this tense, slow-burning thriller, features a young woman who sits on the fault lines between secular and religious life in Israel while confronting her own uncertain future as a promising pianist. Naomi Sirad (Ania Bukstein, Game of Thrones) leaves her home in Tel Aviv for a new life and a new job in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat Yovel, a Haredi enclave. Naomi is secular and looking for an escape from her parents and the past, which has been completely dedicated to classical piano. But Naomi’s new apartment comes with an old piano and a mute Haredi boy who sneaks in through the window to play it each morning. The neighborhood is increasingly hostile to Naomi for being secular, and things only get stranger when she develops a close friendship with a Catholic monk at a nearby church who secretly gives her access to the Church organ. Bukstein’s performance is subtle and powerful as she navigates the treacherous and often frightening territory of religious extremism. A Quiet Heart takes a long quiet look at the fear that comes with an uncertain future and the courage it takes to stand up to threats. —Tamar Fox