Date and Time for this Past Event
- Sunday, Nov 5, 2023 1pm - 3pm
Details
AFI’s Silent Cinema Showcase returns with another selection of newly restored screen classics and rare gems from the silent era.
Directed by Ewald André Dupont (PICCADILLY, VARIETE), this 1923 film is a landmark representation of German-Jewish history. Set in the 1860s, the story focuses on young Baruch (Ernst Deutsch), the son of a rabbi in an eastern shtetl, who, after becoming fascinated with the theater, leaves his home to pursue his art. In time, Baruch works his way up the ranks from tent show stagehand to celebrated stage actor in Vienna, thanks to the patronage of an archduchess (Henny Porten). But Baruch still longs for home and the approval of his stern, traditional father. The assimilation narrative and struggle between tradition and modernity strongly prefigure those of THE JAZZ SINGER, which would come along several years later. The scenes of shtetl life are vividly realized, as are the observances of Purim and Yom Kippur. This gem of German-Jewish cinema will be shown with an original live score by the extraordinary violinist Alicia Svigals (The Klezmatics, The Yellow Ticket) and pianist Donald Sosin.
