Episodes
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Join Harry and Daniel as they dive into the world of Girlfriendsâthe groundbreaking 1978 film by Claudia Weil that some have called "the Jewish Frances Ha."
This week, theyâre joined by filmmaker and actress Jessie Kahnweiler to unpack the story of Susan, played by Melanie Mayron, as she navigates life, friendship, and independence in a way thatâs as bold as it is relatable.
Expect a lively discussion about Susanâs undeniable chutzpah, the filmâs nuanced portrayal of female friendship, and finding your path on your own terms. Of course, no conversation would be complete without spotlighting some of the movieâs best (and corniest) Jewish jokes, along with their signature "Jewishness" rankingâcovering everything from cast and crew to content and themes.
And donât miss the bonus at the end, where Jessie gives us a sneak peek into her upcoming film, Just the Tip!
Girlfriends on IMDb
Girlfriends movie trailer
Jessie's Links
Jesse Kahnweiler on Instagram
Just the Tip Trailer
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Harry and Daniel welcome acclaimed director Eddie Schmidt to the pod to discuss Albert Brooksâ pioneering meta-documentary âReal Life,â released in 1979.
Join them as they track the filmâs exploration of truth and reality, and Brooksâ repeated meddling in the ârealityâ of his subjects. They then consider the different modes of performance in the film, and discuss how a God-fearing Jew is uniquely equipped to survive in an overly-observed world. Finally, they discuss the shlemiel and shlimazel archetypes and debate which each of the characters represents in the film. As always, they rank the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
Stick around for the end of the podcast to hear a little bit more about Eddieâs latest project âGood One: A Show About Jokes" and some of the parallels to "Real Life" as well as how he set out capturing Mike Birbigliaâs process in creating a special.
Real Life Trailer
Real Life on IMDb
Eddie's Links
Eddie Schmidt on Instagram
Good One: A Show About Jokes
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Missing episodes?
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In this electrifying episode of Jews on Film, Daniel and Harry are thrilled to be joined by Yacov Freedman, Sr. Producer of TCM's acclaimed series The Plot Thickens. Together, they dive into the dazzling world of 2011's X-Men: First Class, directed by Matthew Vaughn. đŚ¸ââď¸đĽ
This action-packed discussion covers everything from Magneto's poignant backstory as a Holocaust survivor to the X-Men's historical role as stand-ins for marginalized members of the Jewish, LGBTQ+, and Black communities .
đ˝ď¸â¨ As they unpack the film's historical influences and character dynamics, you'll also hear Harry's heartfelt confession of his admiration for Michael Fassbender.
Don't miss this opportunity to explore the superhero saga's deeper meanings and its cultural impact! đđŚšââď¸
X-Men First Class on Trailer
X-Men First Class on IMDb
Yacov's Links
The Plot Thickens on Apple Podcasts
Yacov Freedman on Twitter
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Daniel and Harry had Danielle Dardashti on last week to discuss the film Persepolis, and this week they are sharing the first episode of Danielle's series, "The Nightingale of Iran", enjoy!
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Sisters Danielle and Galeet Dardashti grew up in a Jewish American family band: The Dardashti Family. They sang international folk music in 12 languages â English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, Greek, Spanish, French, Japanese and more â but never any songs in Persian. This seems odd to them since both their father and grandfather were famous Iranian singers during the âGolden Ageâ for Jews in Iran, before the Islamic Revolution. Danielle and Galeet make a discovery that takes them back in time, and helps them find answers to their questions about why their family left Iran and abandoned their Iranian identity.
Co-creators / Co-executive producers - Danielle Dardashti and Galeet Dardashti
The Nightingale of Iran - nightingaleofiran.com
Presented by The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, a publication of 70 Faces Media
Host - Danielle Dardashti
Writer / Director / Senior Producer - Danielle Dardashti
Producer / Musical Director / Subject Matter Expert - Galeet Dardashti
Audio Editors / Sound Designers - Rebecca Seidel and Zachary Goldberg
Story Editor - Rider Alsop
Story Consultant - Asal Ehsanipour
Composer of Theme Song - Galeet Dardashti: âMelekhâ from her album Monajat, featuring Younes Dardashti (with Shanir Blumenkranz, Max ZT, Zafer Tawil, Philip Mayer)
In Episode 1, The Time Machine, you heard our conversations with: Farid and Sheila Dardashti, Shahla Javdan, Homa Sarshar, Lili Keypour, and Nahid Pirnazar.
Thank you to our sponsors:
-Jewish Writersâ Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab / Maimonides Fund
-Common Era
-Younes and Soraya Nazarian Family Foundation
-The Himan Brown Charitable Trust
-UCLA Mickey Katz Endowed Chair in Jewish Music
-Beâchol Lashon (fiscal sponsor)
Intro credits read by: Michelle Dardashti
Cover art design: Ghulam Nabi
Assistants: Courtney Cunningham & Jessica DeWeese
Marketing / PR: Tink
Distributed by PRX, the Public Media Exchange
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Daniel and Harry are joined by Danielle Dardashti, co-creator and producer of "The Nightingale of Iran" podcast to discuss "Persepolis," the 2007 animated film co-directed by Marjane Satrapi.
They discuss Marjaneâs split sense of identity throughout the film, and Danielle shares parallel stories of her grandfather that reflect the experience of living in Iran during the fall of the Shah and rise of the Islamic Fundamentalism during the late 1970s.
Then the three talk about religious as well as national persecution for Iranians at that time and finish up the discussion weighing the pros and cons of various modern storytelling mediums such as graphic novel, animated film, and audio podcast.
As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
Persepolis Movie Trailer
Persepolis on IMDB
Danielle's Links
The Nightingale of Iran Podcast
Danielle Dardashti on Instagram
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Daniel and Harry are joined by Adam Lisagor, commercial director and founder of Sandwich, to discuss the 1977 film âKentucky Fried Movieâ directed by ZAZ.
Adam first shares how the film had a profound impact on his directing tone & style. Then he shares a few Zucker stories from past family gatherings, rates the commercial parodies in the film, and the three even welcome legendary producer Samuel J Bronkowitz!
As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
"Kentucky Fried Movie" Trailer
IMDB
Adamâs Links
Sandwich
Adam Lisagor on Twitter
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Daniel and Harry are joined by comedian and co-host of the Yenta podcast, Raye Schiller to discuss the 2023 film "Bottoms" directed by Emma Seligman.
First, they unravel how PJ and Josie's sarcasm and lies unwittingly sow chaos among their classmates. Then, they dissect the tribalism between school cliques, revealing subtle Jewish undertones. Finally, they explore Rachel Sennotâs knack for portraying Jewish-coded characters and her standout role in this film.
As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
IMDb Page
Movie Trailer
Raye's Links
Yenta! Podcast
Raye Schiller on Instagram
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Join Daniel & Harry on an exhilarating adventure as they welcome acclaimed writer and podcaster David Tuchman to unearth the Jewish treasures buried within Steven Spielberg's iconic 1981 masterpiece, "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark."
Prepare to delve into the thrilling world of archaeology, exploring how it sets out to preserve ancient traditions, artifacts, and customs. Discover the fascinating accuracy behind the depiction of the Ark of the Covenant and uncover the hidden depths Spielberg wove into the film. The conversation takes a bold turn as they analyze the portrayal of Nazis as unequivocal villains and ponder the possibility of such clear-cut antagonists in contemporary cinema.
As the episode reaches its climax, our hosts highlight the most Jewish moments, debate the âstretches of the pod,â and tackle the ultimate question: Is "Raiders of the Lost Ark" good for the Jews?
Tune in for a riveting discussion, packed with insights and spirited rankings of the filmâs overall Jewishness.
IMDb Page
Movie Trailer
David Tuchman's Links
Listen to OMGWTFBIBLE
Read David's Story "Chelm, NJ"
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Daniel and Harry welcome actress, performer, and host of the podcast "Too Stupid to Live" to discuss the 2023 Hallmark film "Made For Each Other".
After tracing the mythological roots of the Golem, they discuss the notion of doing what you truly want versus what's expected of you, imperfection as positive trait rather than something to shy away from, and finally they settle the score the best flavor of babka and how to pronounce kugel.
As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
IMDb Page
Movie Trailer
Becky's Links
Too Stupid to Live
Becky Feldman on instagram
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Batter Up! Daniel & Harry welcome film maker Daniel Robbins to discuss the 2011 film, "Moneyball" directed by Bennet Miller and starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
They discuss the notions of tradition vs progress in baseball as well as Judaism, the use of statistics and negotiating depicted in the film, and discuss which biblical figures Billy Beane and Peter Brand most resemble.
Finally, they end the episode by selecting their most Jewish scenes, âstretches of the pod,â debating if the movie is âgood for the Jewsâ and ranking the filmâs overall Jewishness.
IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210166/
Movie Trailer - https://youtu.be/D1R-LwHbld4
Daniel Robbin's Links
Watch "Bad Shabbos" at Tribeca Film Festival - https://tribecafilm.com/films/bad-shabbos-2024
Follow Daniel on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danrobb11/
Follow Daniel on Twitter
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In honor of 4/20, Daniel and Harry are joined by friend of the podcast, Meir Zwanziger, to discuss the 2015 film Dough starring Jonathan Pryce and Jerome Holder.
Before diving into the movie, they share their experiences with cannabis and explore the possible historical connections between Judaism and cannabis.
Then the trio discusses the depiction of Jewish and Muslim religious traditions in the film, as well as the portrayal of socio-economic and generational divides among the various characters.
Finally, they end the episode by selecting their most Jewish scenes, âstretches of the pod,â debating if the movie is âgood for the Jewsâ and ranking the filmâs overall Jewishness.
IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517471/
Movie Trailer - https://youtu.be/Y7b4IoNRhtk
Meir's Links
Sababoosh Podcast
Sababoosh Substack
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Daniel and Harry don their chef whites and sharpen their kitchen knives as they welcome food writer Leah Koenig for their biggest meal yet: a hearty discussion of 1996's "Big Night" co-directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci.
Join them as they go on a spiritual journey through the film and celebrate the divine nature of a great meal.
Leah's Links
Buy Leah's cookbook Portico
The Jewish Table (Leah's Substack)
Leah Koenig on Instagram
Movie Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQQhoYLsoHI
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115678/
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Join Harry, Daniel, and their guest Jason Zinoman, critic at large for The New York Times, as they share a plate of ginger prawns (Kosher of course) at their favorite Chinese Restaurant and unpack the Jewishness of Barbet Schroederâs âReversal of Fortune,â starring Glenn Close, Ron Silver, and Jeremy Irons in an Oscar winning performance.
Tune in to hear them discuss the way protagonist Alan Dershowitz is faced with positive and negative stereotypes of his Jewishness, debate Judaismâs perspective on upholding the law when things get morally ambiguous, and answer the question of whether or not Claus Von Bulow has a good sense of humor.
Finally, they end the episode by selecting their most Jewish scenes, âstretches of the pod,â debating if the movie is âgood for the Jewsâ and ranking the filmâs overall Jewishness.
IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100486/
Movie Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU7cBiiYcUg
Jasonâs Links
The Martin Chronicles Podcast - https://martinchronicles.buzzsprout.com/
Jason on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/zinomanj/
Jason on Twitter - https://x.com/zinoman
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In their season four debut, Harry and Daniel welcome musician extraordinaire Yoshie Fruchter to discuss "This is Spinal Tap,â the 1984 directorial debut from Rob Reiner.
They debate the introspective Jewishness of the mockumentary format, compare the travails of the band to those of the Jews lost in the desert, and crank things up to 11 as they celebrate they tow the line between stupid and clever!
As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
Spinal Tap on imdb
This is Spinal Tap Trailer
Check out the new Sandcatchers album, The Lines
Yoshie Fruchter on Instagram
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Daniel and Harry are joined by Pamela Lavitt, Director of the Seattle Jewish Film Festival.
Pamela shares her insights on what makes a film Jewish, reveals the latest trends in Jewish movies, covers a few notable films playing this year, and makes a surprising pitch for a Jewish read of "Barbie" and âThe Matrix.â
Check out the full festival schedule (March 2-17) and buy tickets here: https://seattlejff.org/
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This week, Daniel and Harry are joined by Temim Fruchter, author of "City of Laughter" out now! They discuss the classic 1989 film "When Harry Met Sally..." starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan directed by Rob Reiner.
First, they touch on why the film has sustained as one of the best Rom-Coms, pointing to the improvisation and natural conversations that drive the film's narrative. Then they discuss coincidence and synchronicity related to Harry and Sally's run ins throughout the film.
They also answer one of the most controversial questions in food lore: What is your bagel order?
As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
When Harry Met Sally Trailer
When Harry Met Sally on IMdB
Temim's Links
City of Laughter on Bookshop.org
Temim Fruchter on Twitter
Temim Fruchter on Instagram
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Daniel and Harry are joined by Adam Mansbach, author of Golem of Brooklyn, to talk about the 1991 Bruce Willis film, Hudson Hawk.
They explore themes of moral relativism, as it relates to sin and crime in the film, argue for Hawkâs role as a Jewish stand-in left behind by an ever changing world, and make the case for the filmâs irreverent tone, arguing its intention and merit (and possible Jewishness) against the outsized criticism it has received.
As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
Hudson Hawk on IMdB
Hudson Hawk Trailer
Adam Mansbach Links
Adam's Book The Golem of Brooklyn
Adam Mansbach on Twitter
Adam Mansbach on Instagram
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Daniel and Harry welcome writer, comedian, and performer Gil Ozeri to discuss "Defending You Life" written and directed by Albert Brooks.
First, they discuss Albert Brooks and his groundbreaking work as a comedian and film maker leading up to this stage in his career.
Then they dive into the film and discuss what the Jewish perspective on heaven and hell, biblical references in the bottomless sushi, how intellectual improvement is depicted in the film, and finally they each consider what the afterlife may look like.
As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
IMDb Page
"Defending Your Life" Trailer
Follow Gil Ozeri on Twitter
Follow Gil Ozeri on Instagram
Connect with Jews on Film online:
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Daniel and Harry welcome journalist, film critic, and author Noah Gittell to discuss the 2000 film "Meet The Parents" directed by Jay Roach.
Before discussing the film, Noah talks about his personal connections to the film's themes and filming locations.
Then they touch on the importance of and emphasis on honesty in the film, what happens when Jewish and WASP cultures collide with one another over dinner and how that provides an apt frame for the Jewish American experience.
As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
Meet The Parents Trailer
Meet The Parents on IMDb
Follow Noah Gittell on Instagram
Follow Noah Gittell on Twitter
Pre-Order Baseball: The Movie
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Daniel and Harry welcome stand up and comic book creator Daniel Lobell to discuss the 2011 film "The Rabbi's Cat," directed by Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux.
Before diving into the film, they share some thoughts on how they are processing the news out of Israel and Gaza as well the rise of antisemitism in the US.
Then they talk about the filmâs visual and narrative approach to adapting the graphic novels, explore the way Judaism relies on language and communication to resolve its conflicts, and observe the way the film draws connections across social boundaries that are closer than the ones within.
As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.
The Rabbi's Cat on IMDb
The Rabbi's Cat trailer
Fair Enough Comics
Daniel Lobell on Twitter
Daniel Lobell on Instagram
Reconquistador Film
Connect with Jews on Film online:
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