Romeo and Juliet in Yiddish

Synopsis: Independent low-budget feature film which transports Romeo and Juliet to Williamsburg and the warring families are from two different sects of Orthodox Jews - the Chabads and the Satmars. Laser (Weiss) is running petty scams for food and drugs with his pal Mendy (Zafir). Alienated from their families and communities, they have the thick accents of their ultra Orthodox Satmer sect, in which Yiddish is the first language. Ava (Annenberg), an emergency room nurse who is studying for a Masters in the mama loschen, loves Yiddishkeit but not the Orthodox. When she takes on the project of translating Romeo and Juliet into Yiddish, a Satmer ambulance driver recommends young toughs Laser and Mendy to assist her with the translation. But there is a problem: they have never heard of Shakespeare. As they start to "modernise" and act in the archaic play, the young men fall under its spell.
Language: Yiddish
Country: United States
Medium: Film
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Year of release: 08/07/2011
Notes: The film was made in three months and cost $175,000. In English and Yiddish with English sub-titles.
Subjects: Drama
Keywords: Jewish Americans; Jews; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Untrained actors

Director

Eve Annenberg

Producer

Eve Annenberg; Lazer Weiss

Cinematographer

Screenplay

Music

Art Direction

Cast

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British Universities Film & Video Council