First person films inevitably age alongside the filmmaker, becoming an archive not only of a moment in time, but of a moment in life. While this is to be expected, the archive effect can become much more than a trace of a former time, but may in fact, at least in some cases, serve as a pre-history and a foreshadowing of a time to come. This seems to be, in fact, what happened with my first person film, made in 1998, which has begun to recirculate with keen interest more than 25 years later. The film in question, Treyf (dir. Alisa Lebow and Cynthia Madansky) was an effort to articulate a queer, secular, non-zionist Jewish positionality at a time before an organised community of like-minded progressive Jews had emerged. Now, suddenly, since the genocide in Gaza began, there is a call for community screenings of this film that, a quarter of a century later, provides evidence of prior thinking and experiences to draw from as young progressive, anti-zionist jews (and non-jews) are finding their voice. The recent revival of this quirky first person film suggests unexpected dialogues across time that could never have been anticipated, and provides an opportunity to reflect on the archive-effect of this particular first person film.
This masterclass will be conducted in English and requires prior registration through a form to secure a seat. Admission is free, but a ticket must be collected in advance.
