IN CINEMA
Saturday, June 28th at 7PM
Community Film Screening
REFLECTIONS IN SYNAGOGUE: OBSERVATIONAL AND SPECULATIVE MUSINGS ON CONTEMPORARY JEWRY
Amir Moverman, 2024, 70 min.
Curated by Nia Whitmal
Far beyond its religious function, the synagogue has a central role in Jewish culture. This cinematic archive of all of Manhattan's synagogues provides an opportunity for reflection on Jewish life and community today, its worries and fears, and imagined futures.
REFLECTIONS IN SYNAGOGUE is an experimental and poetic documentary that shows the exteriors of all 70 synagogues on the island of Manhattan from the bottom to the top of the island – a structure that mirrors historic Jewish migration within the borough. The complementary voiceover explores the Jewish history of Manhattan, using the city as a backdrop to deepen our understanding of the synagogue’s place in the Jewish community. Interviews with scholars, rabbis, artists, and activists from numerous backgrounds and life experiences provide further insight into the histories and realities of Jewish life in New York.
+ Post-screening discussion with Amir Moverman, Sam Greenspan, Zachary Kahn, and Griffin Conner!
Amir Moverman is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist whose work navigates memory, identity, and intimacy. Born and raised in Manhattan, he brings a distinctly New York sensibility to his practice, blending connective cultural awareness with emotional resonance. A recipient of the prestigious DAAD German Academic Exchange Fellowship, Moverman is currently pursuing his MFA at NYU’s Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television
Sam Greenspan is an actor, filmmaker, and educator based in Brooklyn and originally from San Francisco, California. he has worked in front of an d behind the camera on independent film projects in many capacities including production assistant, script supervisor, second assistant director, and producer.
Zachary Kahn is an editor and translator in New York City. He edits, post-produces and writes on indie projects, and assists on studio features. He studied Hispanic Studies and English Lit at Columbia University. He researched and wrote his thesis in Cuba on the legalization of independent filmmaking there in 2019. His work in film and language strives towards understanding across times and cultures. He explores the respective blind spots of Hollywood and auteur cinema.
Griffin Conner is a video artist and record label employee from New York City. His work focuses on utilizing low-budget formats (16mm, Super 8, Mini DV, Hi8) to recreate experimental videos characterized by their magical realist sensibilities.
Tickets: $15 General Admission / $7 Reduced Price
