Courtesy of Eve Annenberg
Eve Annenberg has finally hit the big time. After experiencing initial difficulties getting “Romeo & Juliet in Yiddish,” shown at Jewish Film Festivals (difficulties owing, in part, to a scene in the film with nudity), the movie premiered in January at the New York Jewish Film Festival, and receives a theatrical opening July 8 at the Film Society at Lincoln Center.
Just as significant, “Romeo & Juliet in Yiddish” has attracted the attention of marquee critics. A.O. Scott reviewed the film in today’s New York Times, and J. Hoberman — who knows a thing or two about Yiddish cinema — discusses it in this week’s Village Voice. Jon Kalish wrote about the film for the Forward as far back as June 2010, and again for The Arty Semite in January, and Eitan Kensky included a consideration of it in his recent article on the portrayal of Hasidim in movies. But Scott and Hoberman’s reviews provide fodder for further discussion.
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Tongues have been clicking in the Orthodox world about the U.S. debut of Eve Annenberg’s feature film “Romeo and Juliet in Yiddish” (which I previously wrote about for the Forward here), but the New York Jewish Film Festival screening on January 16 at Lincoln Center sold out quickly and the Hasidic dropouts-turned actors who star in the film expect a huge black hat turnout.
On the frum woman’s web site imamother.com someone who grew up in Boro Park with former Satmar beauty Malky Weisz, who plays Juliet, posted: “I think this film is going to create a huge chilull ha shem [desecration of G-d’s name], even though I have no inkling as to what the story line is.”
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HEEB talks to Eve Annenberg, whose film “Romeo and Juliet in Yiddish” (discussed in the Forward here) will screen on January 16 at the New York Jewish Film Festival.
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