Proving that neither Muslims nor Christians have cornered the market on intolerance, Sandi Simcha Dubowski's documentary Trembling Before G-d examines the trials faced by homosexuals who aspire to be observant Orthodox Jews. Opening with footage of Hasidim angrily protesting a gay-rights rally, the film circles the globe, presenting testimonials from gays and lesbians living in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Jerusalem. The issue before them is how they can practice a religion that condemns their lifestyle: Does being a practicing sinner preclude maintaining the faith? An HIV-positive Englishman blames his disease on the years he spent away from Hebrew school. Others describe hours spent in therapy at the command of their rabbis, or recall debates with rabbis over whether they can be gay but celibate, or whether it's a greater sin to live a lie. A few closeted interviewees appear only in silhouette to preserve their anonymity. Dubowski also uses the silhouette in a recurring image of Jewish rituals performed by a family seen projected in shadow onto a screen. The setup establishes the connection between religion and family, underlining what the subjects would lose if they were to abandon their heritage. This is an especially pointed issue for Jews, who have converted thousands of years of persecution into an elaborate support system, a community outside the mainstream. But gay people have a community, too, and one of the fascinations of Trembling Before G-d lies in watching people who have a shaky footing in two generally inviting, generous worlds. Dubowski could have emphasized this connection more, just as he could have given some time to those placard-bearing Hasidim who appear only at the film's beginning. The only opposing voices he indulges belong to a few rabbis who ultimately preach tolerance and inclusion, even as they reaffirm their core objections to homosexuality. Dubowski makes his subjects' attachment to Judaism clear, but he fudges on exactly how outcast they are. Nevertheless, Trembling Before G-d succeeds on the charisma and sympathy of the interviewees, and for a video production, it's artfully shot, with a snazzy John Zorn soundtrack. The documentary is consistently engaging, raising pertinent questions about the power of institutional rules, and whether the institutions can break them and survive.