Norwich History Festival: Hester Street + Q&A
PG 120 mins
PG 120 mins
As part of Norwich History Festival 2026, there will be a special post-screening Q&A with Dr Julia Wagner, chaired by Dr Sarah Godfrey, Associate Professor, School of Media, Language and Communication Studies (UEA).
Julia is a lecturer and writer specialising in Jewish-interest film and television, and Italian cinema. She holds a PhD in Film Studies and is author of Hester Street (BFI Film Classics, Bloomsbury 2025). Julia is a member of the London Film Critics’ Circle and she is passionate about media education and public engagement.
Joan Micklin Silver’s triumphant 1975 debut feature film Hester Street is a vivid portrayal of 19th century immigration with a feminist twist. As Yiddish-speaking Gitl (Carol Kane, whose performance earned an Academy Award nomination) arrives in New York to reunite with her husband, she discovers he has shed the customs of the old world, sparking Gitl’s journey of identity as a new American.
Copies of Julia’s book will be available for purchase from The Book Hive.