Tzadeikis, or “Holy Woman” is a short film set in Boro Park’s Hasidic community. “A magical realist dark comedy about mortality, mysticism, and the metaphysics of facial hair” Tzadeikis is written and directed by NYU film student Emily Cheeger as her thesis project.

After eating the same fish that kills a rebbe when he chokes on a bone, Neshama, the film’s protagonist, becomes possessed by the rebbe’s spirit. Tzadeikis traces Neshama’s journey and changing views of her community as her body and mind transform under a supernatural influence. This Yiddish-language film is largely driven by an intensity in representing the Hasidic community with affection and dignity with fastidious attention to detail and accuracy.

Cheeger, who was raised in a secular Jewish environment, has always felt an emotional response and curiosity about Hasidic culture. A resident of Boro Park since 2013, Cheeger felt many Hasidim films didn’t bother to do their research to fully represent the intricacies of the culture with authenticity. “You’ll see men wearing floppy hats!” she explains.

Hyperaware of her status as an outsider, and the Hasidic communities’ hesitancy in dealing with media, Cheeger tells Jewcy, “I want to tell stories that reach across boundaries. Stories that are accessible and would resonate with the people in these communities.”

A self described polyglot, who spent her childhood between Finland and New York, Cheeger draws inspiration from Russian modernism, mentioning the melancholic quality and dark humor of writers like Nabokov as much in line with her own sensibilities. Her creative pursuits are often based in an interrogation of boundaries. Although Cheeger isn’t Ultra-Orthodox, Tzadeikis is influenced by her own experiences. For example, in a particular scene, Neshama looks through the partition to the men’s side, which is a personal memory of Cheeger from years ago.

As a musician as well, Cheeger was particularly interested in exploring the Halachic law of kol isha, prohibiting men from hearing women sing. “For me, self-expression is such a huge part of spirituality and creativity and how I engage with the divine, so this law was something I had to grapple with. Why is the burden of potential arousal placed on women?” She’s also fascinated by the many binaries she sees in Hasidic culture, be it meat and milk, the sacred and the profane, or shabbos and the rest of the week.

Shooting for Tzadeikis is scheduled to start at the end of February with 15 people in the crew, 13 cast members and multiple location changes. The film will be approximately twenty-five minutes.   

The film’s Kickstarter, which has reached its initial $35,000 goal is a great starting point, but Cheeger is hopeful funding will continue to rise (the campaign ends February 5) as she has big plans for the future of Tzakeikis. The film will have a running time of approximately 25 minutes.  

Although firmly set in this world, Tzadeikis takes place in a magical landscape which Cheeger says is more native to her imagination, a type of dream reality where magic and reality meet.

To donate or for more information visit Tzadeikis here.

Concept Illustration of The Rebbe of Kolnitz, digital collage by Emily Cheeger

The post ‘Tzadeikis’: An Intimate and Fantastical Look at the Hasidic World appeared first on Jewcy.

If you’re looking for a good Kickstarter project to increase your tzedakah before Yom Kippur, consider Division Ave. The film is fundraising for completion, and it has a strong message of economic and racial justice.

The film explores the ongoing phenomenon that Chasidic homes in Brooklyn hire undocumented immigrants to clean their homes. At times, these women, usually Latina or Eastern European, work in poor conditions, or have no insurance that they will be paid what they were promised.

In Division Ave, Michal Birnbaum plays Nechama, a Chasidic woman who hires Fernanda (Lorena Rodriguez) to clean for her in anticipation of Passover. She learns that Fernanda is having wages withheld by a contractor, and the two form an unlikely team to seek justice. Of course, they discover that they have more in common than they previously thought.

Birnbaum is not only one of the film’s stars, but also its writer. Originally from Bnei Brak, she moved to the United States about five years ago after completing her service in the IDF. She currently works onstage and film, including a role in the recent Nerve and participating in the Jewish “24/6” theatre company. She first heard the story of this practice during a synagogue sermon (around Passover) about modern slavery.

“I was very upset, generally because it’s not a thing that human beings should do to another human being,” Birnbaum told Jewcy. “This is mostly the Jewish community that hires those women. I wanted to explore the situation more.” She got in touch with the Workers Justice Project, a laborers’ rights organization. The more she learned, the more determined she was to tell this story, and she wrote the screenplay for Division Ave, named for the street where women wait for work for the day, for as little as $7 or $8 an hour. But she also sees the difficult situation of the women on the other end of the hiring process.

“More than even immigration, it’s about women, it’s about women living under patriarchy,” she says. “In my film we see the cleaning lady and her struggle, but we also see the Chasidic woman. She’s also under a lot of pressure to be ready for Pesach all by herself.”

This feminist attitude continues to the production team, and directing Division Ave is Ofelia Yanez. “It was clear for me that I want a woman to direct this project,” says Birnbaum.

As she worked on the screenplay, Birnbaum spoke to immigrant cleaning women, as well as women once from or currently part of the Chasidic community. She found many cultural gaps, sometimes wide enough to create tension or distrust. These could be issues such as the fact that non-Jewish women can’t bring their food into the kosher homes where they’re working. In one stark example, Birnbaum also found Chasidic women used to scrubbing on their hands and knees surprised when day laborers claim it’s humiliating and prefer a mop.

“As human beings, as Jews,” says Birnbaum of the cleaning women, it would be better to “do something to make it more bearable for them and just really earn a living with dignity and respect.” She cites the WJP’s guidelines for fair hiring practices, including a written contract, larger minimum pay, full equipment provided, and to move the hiring corner indoors. Birnbaum admits that some Chasidim express racism towards the women they hire, and hopes that there will be more stories like the one told in her film.

As far as the fundraising process, so far so good.

“We’re overwhelmed by so much support from the Jewish community, from the Latin community,” says Birnbaum. “It’s really touching how many people find it important that we can tell the story of those women.”

You know the drill with Kickstarter: There are great rewards and updates for supporters, but funding is all or nothing once the clock runs out. You can watch a video about the film below, and donate before its Monday completion here. 

Image courtesy Division Ave

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You can watch the trailer here, and then, read on!

Jewcy: You have worked on many different projects, some including the theme of cultural identity. How did you decide to focus on Curious George? Was he a part of your childhood?

Ema:  I grew up in Japan and I had no concept that Curious George was popular throughout the world, not only in my own culture. Looking for a story to pursue for my first documentary, I realized that I had not been familiar with his background.  As children, we don’t often think about the origins of our favorite books and authors.  When I first heard a 1966 interview with the Reys on WGBH, I was captivated by their global accent and the way they seemed to finish one another’s sentences.  I grew up juggling different cultures and the Reys were the embodiment of people who went beyond one place to create a universal message.

Jewcy:  How did the marriage of Hans and Margret become a factor in their work and in your interest in their careers?

Ema: Margret was a fascinating person.  Hans was the genius, the artist, the source of many of their ideas, but Margret wrote the words and got things done.  They had met during their childhood in Hamburg; Hans had dated Margret’s older sister. They met again as adults in Rio de Janeiro, where Hans was working as a bookkeeper.  Margaret knew that he was wasting his artistic talents. She encouraged him to start an advertising agency and later to become involved in writing and illustrating.  Had Margret not shown up, he would have been content working on the beaches of Rio. She motivated him and handled the business.  Many people found her blunt, impatient, rude. Her strengths were not as common for women in the 1940s.  Sometimes I get “causey” about Margret.  I also feel that my working relationship with Jacob Kafka, the film’s animator, shares some aspect of the relationship between Margret and Hans.

Jewcy: I am struck by how unusual your approach and vision are in developing this film, which combines documentary footage, interviews, and original animation.  Why did you decide to combine animation with some of the more traditional elements of documentary films?

Ema: I asked myself how I could best convey the depth of the Reys’ life and tell their story.  They were great storytellers; how would I tell their story? It was unimaginable not to use animation. To show how extraordinary their lives were, they escaped the Nazis on bicycle and called it an adventure.  I had to share the harsh realities of 1941, but also to provide a context.   The past decade has seen a new era in documentary film making, not restricted to old norms.  I used mixed media, and I hope that the Reys would approve of how I’m doing that!  The film has narrator page flips and caption titles, and simple sentences such as Margret would have written.  They created an illustrated world, a world of drawings which transcended time as well as culture.  I wanted to draw from that world and to take it a step further.

Jewcy:  In the archives at the University of Southern Mississippi, where you did research for your film, there is a 1942 greeting card drawn by Hans, in which he is painting a scene of the Statue of Liberty, including the phrase, “Let Freedom Ring.”  Is there a political or social message intrinsic to the Reys’ story?

Ema:  Since I started the project two years ago, the conversation about immigrants, as well as the negativity towards immigrants and refugees, has become much more topical.  I obviously didn’t plan on this.  The Reys’ story is one of people crossing borders, of coming to America, which they saw as the dream of a place where anything is possible.  I moved here from Japan when I was nineteen and I happened to live on the same block as the Reys. I wasn’t a refugee, but I saw America as a place of opportunity, where I could express myself to the fullest. The Reys are a shining example of the possibilities of what people can become given the right opportunity, when they are allowed the benefit of freedom from labelling. They were so proud to become Americans.   Subconsciously, I did identify with them.

Jewcy: Is Curious George Jewish?

Ema:  As a non-Jewish person, I look to others to provide that interpretation.  The Reys were survivors and I see so much of them in George. They showed resilience and were always grateful for the kindness of strangers.  I don’t want to speak for their Jewishness, but I know that it has great meaning for the Jewish community.

Jewcy: What would you like Jewcy readers to know about the cumulative experience of telling the Reys’ story?

Ema:  The process has been grueling, an adventure in itself, and has turned into a very public campaign.  I have not only learned so much about the Reys, but meeting the Curious George superfans has been incredible.  It hasn’t only been about raising the money, but about building a sense of community.  If I ever had a doubt that this story was worth telling, it has been obliterated by their tremendous support.

Monkey Business is about to conclude its Kickstarter campaign! You can help it reach its final goal here.

Images courtesy of Monkey Business.

The post The Jewish Creators of Curious George, Everyone’s Favorite Monkey appeared first on Jewcy.

When someone says Williamsburg the first word that pops into most people’s heads is “hipster”: too-cool-for-school millennials feigning indifference, well thought-out nonchalance expertly uploaded to Instagram. But where north meets south at Broadway Avenue, a whole different world exists. The dress code turns black and white and the streets are filled with ultra-Orthodox Jews; the men distinguished by their side curls, the women by the lines of children who follow after them, some pushing strollers themselves. In this community, the internet and crushing modernity that looms around every corner is perceived as the biggest threat to their pious way of life.

In 2012, the community’s rabbis gathered tens of thousands of followers at Citi Field for an urgent proclamation against the use of the Internet. Outside on the corner of the street, protected by police, stood about 50 people, all former members of the same community, standing up against the rabbinical leaders. They protested that the leaders were not addressing the right problems—instead of directly addressing the darker issues within the community itself, they were blaming the outside world.

This is where the idea for our upcoming Kickstarter-funded feature film ‘The Other Side’ was born. While our movie is a work of fiction, it is largely based on the true stories of people who have left the Satmar Hasidic community in Williamsburg. We took those stories, fictionalized and reimagined them, and created an indie drama about a young Hasidic Jewish man who turns to the outside world for help in exposing a crime being committed within his community. In the process, his family and world are turned upside down and he comes to question all that he has believed in.

We agonized over each word of this story, knowing that exploring the dark subject of sexual abuse in the Orthodox community would encounter resistance—some people might even label project as anti-Semitic. All of us involved in creating the film are Jewish and our goal has always been to make the Jewish community stronger. I grew up as a reform Jew, director Dani Tenenbaum is Israeli, and our other two partners are both former members of the Hasidic community. We understand why the community has been so reluctant to talk about the issue of sexual abuse. But now is the time to speak up and to stop the silence.

In ‘The Other Side’ we will explore the beauty and deviance that coexist in the Hasidic enclave of Williamsburg, and how a thriving hipster community right next door tempts young members away from a life of safety to a life of the unknown. To stay true to the authenticity of the cultures, we will shoot the movie in Yiddish, English, and also some Hebrew.

Since our Kickstarter campaign started, we have received many emails, messages, and comments—from people within the community who are extremely supportive of the project, and also from those who hope that this topic never sees the light of day. We can’t make this movie without the help of the public. We’ve created a short video to introduce you to the project, as well as an interactive video where you can “choose your own adventure” and discover the different worlds of our film.

This is a very dynamic time in the Hasidic community of Brooklyn. New voices are being heard, and the old structure of the community is changing. As the number of people leaving this world grow, the need to explore what this phenomenon really means—on an individual level, and for Judaism as a whole—grows more urgent. It’s a story of clashing cultures and changing perceptions. It’s ‘The Other Side.’

Stacey Maltin is the screenplay writer and producer of ‘The Other Side.’ She has BFA from NYU Tisch with a minor in journalism and has been working professionally in film and theater for over ten years.

The post New Movie ‘The Other Side’ Will Explore Sexual Abuse In Williamsburg’s Hasidic Community appeared first on Jewcy.

The teaser trailer for Zach Braff’s new Kickstarter-funded film, Wish I Was Here, has just been released. It contains very little dialogue (there is one notably twee line at the beginning—Braff’s character tells his daughter she can buy any costume wig she likes as long as it’s “unique and amazing, like you”*), and it doesn’t reveal much about the plot of the film, but the sound and aesthetics are pretty much Garden State redux—which is either the most amazing or worst thing on earth, depending on your feelings about Garden State.

Kate Hudson is cast as Braff’s wife, Mandy Patinkin as his ailing (possibly dying) father, and there are lots of lovely, sun-dappled shots of Los Angeles/California. At one point, we see Braff looking uber-serious as he follows a kippah-wearing man (rabbi?) down a hallway. And it’s all scored by The Shins’ “Simple Song,” from their 2011 album Port of Morrow.

The movie will be released on July 18.

Compare and share, guys:

WISH I WAS HERE

GARDEN STATE

*Does anyone actually talk like that?

Related: Zach Braff On His New Role In “Bullets Over Broadway” And Being An Emo Kid

(Image: Youtube)

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Variety reports that Zach Braff’s Kickstarter-funded movie “Wish I Was Here” will be in movie theaters in New York and Los Angeles on July 18. (If you’re perturbed by the idea of a rich movie star soliciting squillions of dollars for a major film project via the internet poor, you’re not alone.)

Here’s the unofficial IMDB synopsis of the movie, which stars Kate Hudson and marriage-officiant extraordinaire, Mandy Patinkin(!):

Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor, father and husband, who at 35 is still trying to find his identity; a purpose for his life. He winds up trying to home school his two children when his father can no longer afford to pay for private education and the only available public school is on its last legs. Through teaching them about life his way, Aidan gradually discovers some of the parts of himself he couldn’t find.

Do we detect lightly Jewy undertones from the “conservative/Orthodox”-raised filmmaker? Let’s hope so!

The post Zach Braff’s New Movie, “Wish I Was Here,” Has A Release Date! appeared first on Jewcy.

OK, here’s something perplexing. And kind of cute? Look, I’m not sure what to think, but this new video brings Zach Braff, Purim, and Yeshiva University (!) together, ergo, it is compelling and essential viewing.

In the 30 second clip, Braff talks about being a doctor and a lawyer and an ordained rabbi. It ends with the hashtag #nowherebuthere (YU’s tagline), which is pretty close to the title of Braff’s new film.

Happy Adar 1, everyone!

The post Zach Braff Promotes Yeshiva University In New Purim Video appeared first on Jewcy.

Be still our beating, nerdy hearts! There’s a mega Jewish Comic book anthology in the works, called—what else?—Jewish Comix Anthology.

Here are the deets: 47 artists from Canada, the US, Israel, and the UK, in one lovely, 250(ish) page hardcover book, graphically expounding on all things Jewish. Illustrations will be a mix of black & white and color. Artists range from emerging to super-well-known—including Robert Crumb, Trina Robbins, Joe Kubert, and Will Eisner. (It’s well worth clicking through the list of contributors to the artists’ individual sites, but be warned: you will lose a couple of hours down the rabbit-hole of Amazing Art On The Internet.)

It basically sounds like the ideal bat mitzvah/afikoman/Jewish life-cycle gift. You can have too many challah-covers. You can never have too many comics!

Anyway, the folks behind the anthology need your help to make it happen. Here’s the Kickstarter link. Rewards include copies of the book and original art. You know what to do.

RELATED: Watch ‘A Queer Country’ Kickstarter

The post There’s A Kickstarter For A Jewish Comic Anthology appeared first on Jewcy.

The talented Lil Dicky, who rap battled Hitler (and won), is enlisting the help of fans through a Kickstarter campaign. In order to continue making the music and videos we know and love, LD describes what he needs the cash for in a short, but totally entertaining video:

Music (an album)
Music Videos (for songs off of that album)
Touring

Pretty simple. Though it only opened on Wednesday, the campaign has already made over $37,000, but LD is looking to make $70,000. If donations continue at this rate, we don’t think he’ll have any problem getting what he needs. And, it’s not surprising really—for each donation increment, LD offers a gift; they start out small and awesome, getting bigger and stranger as they go (see: pay your own way to meet LD in California for dinner). Maybe we’ll start our own Kickstarter to fund a flight to the West Coast.

Watch the campaign video:

Then re-watch an old favorite:

Hope you make double what you’re asking, LD.

Previous: Watch Jewish Rapper Lil Dicky’s Rap Battle With Hitler

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Move over, Zach Braff—there’s a new star turning to Kickstarter for crowd-sourced funding. Zosia Mamet, of Shoshanna fame, and her sister Clara have an indie folk band (because of course) called The Cabin Sisters, and they need a little help getting their first music video made. Like, your help:

This music video for Bleak Love is our chance to realize through the visual artistry of some very talented people the universal feeling of un-requited love. Visually the video will bounce from opulence to sparseness, French Baroque to a simple, timeless and heartbroken. We are hoping to capture something everyone has felt at some point in their lives.

Sadly, the sisters Mamet haven’t been too successful in their quirky, banjo-laden venture (“Perhaps because it includes a ‘body percussionist,'” BetaBeat offered). No word on whether dad David, who once encouraged 25-year-old Zosia to skip college and pursue acting instead—”Thank God one of my children is finally listening to me,” he apparently told her—is one of the project’s 23 backers (the sisters have raised $1,170 so far).

I think the problem here is that people are thinking too small. Sure, for $25 you can download their first album (after all, Shosh would never pirate music) and $100 will get you a signed photo of the sisters, but for only $5,000 you can be Zosia’s date (fine, guest) at a Cinema Society film screening and premiere party: “It is a very classy event that will give you the opportunity to know a little bit about Zosia.” Sure, we don’t know what movie it is and she might totally hate you, but it would be so worth it.

So, have you donated yet? Because Lena totally did.

Zosia is making a very un-Shosh like music video (with a little help from her friends) #cabinsisters kickstarter.com/projects/51216…

— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) May 29, 2013

Previously: Zosia Mamet Curses, Loves Pirates, and Is Definitely Not A ‘Shoshanna’
Zosia Mamet Reports That Even Off-Screen, Dating in Your 20s Sucks
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Shoshanna?

(Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

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