I Was Not Born a Mistake

  • Archive - Festival 35
  • Director: Rachel Rusinek, Eyal Ben Moshe
  • Israel 2019
  • 52 minutes
  • Hebrew, English
  • Subtitles in Hebrew, English

Yaakov Smith was an ultra-orthodox married man with six children and a pillar of his community, when he left his family, his community, and Israel. It took him 20 years to return - only this time as an observant woman. The documentary by Rachel Rusinek and Eyal Ben Moshe touches honestly and openly on a subject that is both relevant and unspoken. It is also a film about self-acceptance, compassion, love, and family.

Filmography: Doculadim (net series, 2016), The Escape Artists (Rusinek, 2004)


  • Director Rachel Rusinek, Eyal Ben Moshe
  • Production Rachel Rusinek, Eyal Ben Moshe
  • Script Rachel Rusinek
  • Cinematography Rachel Rusinek, Eyal Ben Moshe
  • Editing Eyal Ben Moshe
  • Music Ronit Roland
  • Source Rachel Rusinek and Eyal Ben Mosh
  • Produced with support by Yes Docu. Mifal HaPais - Council for the Culture and Arts, CBC Canada