Secret Sabbath

Description

Official Selection
New York Jewish Sephardic Film Festival
Chicago Jewish Film Festival
Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media
Institute of Audiovisual Jewish Memory
Arizona Jewish Historical Society

Educators’ Choice
Wellesley College

Synopsis

This fascinating film explores the journeys undertaken by diverse Jewish people in Mexico and America to uncover long-hidden family secrets passed down through generations. As they delve deeper, they discover a compelling fusion of their Hispanic and Jewish cultural heritage, a less explored and often marginalized facet of their identities. Rejecting strict identity categories, they embrace who they are instead, drawing inspiration from the life and experiences of Luis de Carvajal the Younger, a historical figure who met a tragic end in 16th-century Inquisitorial Mexico. He was condemned to be burned at the stake due to his commitment to adhering to the Law of Moses, exemplifying the profound struggles faced by those who dared to challenge societal norms and religious authorities during that era.

Director

Daniel Goldberg Lerner is a director and producer based in Israel. He studied Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M University and received his MA from the University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts. His films include A Kiss to this Earth (1995), Steps to Eternity (2010), and In the Footsteps of Abraham (2010).