UK Jewish Film presents Best of British: Jewish Culture Month
TBC 96 mins
TBC 96 mins
An entertaining and thought-provoking evening of some of the most outstanding British-Jewish short films commissioned by UK Jewish Film over the first quarter of the 21st century.
100 Faces
Dir. Benjamin Till
UK, 2018, 13 mins, English, Hebrew, and Yiddish
100 Faces is a true celebration of the diversity of Jewish people filmed in Manchester, Northampton and London. Holocaust survivors, Kindertransportees and those who fought at Cable Street rub shoulders with chazans, rabbis and atheists. Some speak, some sing. All are accompanied by a specially-written soundtrack recorded by the Israel Camerata orchestra.
Sidney Turtlebaum
Dir. Tristram Shapeero
UK, 2008, 20 mins, English
Sidney Turtlebaum (played by acclaimed BAFTA, Emmy and Tony award-winning actor Sir Derek Jacobi) is a bittersweet comedy and cautionary tale set in present-day Golders Green, the heart of London’s Jewish community. Sidney is an eccentric gay Jewish man in his eighties. To punish the world, Sidney earns his living as a pickpocket and a con-man. When Sidney meets 26-year-old Gabriel (Rupert Evans – Hellboy, The Palace) he cannot resist the opportunity to show off his skills to his new young friend.
The Peacock That Passed Over
Dir. Max Goldberg
UK, 2022, 4 mins, English
Four years ago, a peacock suddenly landed and has settled ever since in the grounds of a Leeds synagogue. Whimsical and charming, the film explores the responses of a diverse section of that Yorkshire community.
The 10th Man
Dir. Sam Leifer
UK, 2006, 11 mins, English
Kidnapping and dirty tricks are the way of the street amongst the ageing Jewish community of London’s East End in this dark comedy by the Leifer brothers. Nominated for Best Short at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards. Starring Steven Berkoff, John Burgess, Bernard Kops, Andrew Sachs and Adrian Scarborough.
Orphaned Burial Grounds
Dir. Jonny Weinberg
UK, 2024, 5 mins, English
Far from Britain’s big Jewish communities, forgotten burial grounds have become places for Jews to find each other and fight to preserve their overlooked heritage.
Growing Up Mizrahi
Dir. Carol Isaacs
UK, 2023, 3 mins, English
Through cartoons and music, this short documentary explores what it’s like to be the UK-born daughter of Iraqi Jews growing up in an Ashkenormative world.
Hannah Cohen’s Holy Communion
Dir. Shimmy Marcus
UK, 2012, 14 mins, English
Set in Dublin in the 1970’s, this film explores a rarely glimpsed Ireland, as seen through the eyes of spirited seven-year-old Hannah Cohen. Hannah can’t wait to make her Holy Communion – only problem is – she’s Jewish! An Irish/Jewish film with an international feel, the beauty of this story lies in its simplicity, humour, and the universal desire to fit in.
The Chop
Dir. Lewis Rose
UK, 2015, 17 mins, English, Arabic with English subtitles
A charismatic young kosher butcher Yossi loses his job and, failing to find a new one, he decides to disguise himself as Yusuf in order to get work at a Halal butcher’s. Can he put on a convincing performance and keep his Jewish identity intact? The Chop has won over 40 Awards.