Shorts Block: Documentary

A showcase of some of the most exciting and thought-provoking documentary short films from around the world featuring stories from established filmmakers and new emerging talent.

CONTERUVERSIAL
International Premiere | Directed by Max Goldberg
UK | 4 minutes | 2023

An ancient symbolic boundary known as an ‘Eruv’ is being built in the heart of the Jewish community in Leeds, Yorkshire, eliciting divisive responses from both Jewish and non-Jewish inhabitants.

THE FATHER'S SILENCE
North American Premiere | Directed by Mariella Santibáñez Koref
Germany | 18 minutes | 2023

Just a few years before his passing, a daughter learns her father's story of surviving the Holocaust, a topic he rarely spoke about. After his death, she embarks on a journey to connect with her Jewish heritage and realizes that she had never truly known her father, as his enduring trauma continues to influence her life.

JACK AND SAM
Miami Premiere | Directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz
USA | 20 minutes | 2023

Mixing documentary, archival, and breathtaking animation, this film is a poignant exploration of two Holocaust survivors miraculously reunited after 80 years. Now in their late 90s, they spend their precious time rekindling their friendship and educating others about the dangers of hatred and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.

SEVEN DAYS IN SILENCE
World Premiere | Directed by Jonathan Perlman
USA | 19 minutes | 2023

This insightful film captures a transformative week-long meditation retreat, intertwining Jewish context and personal experiences to address anxiety, depression, and provide a path for deeper meaning in a world of uncertainty, aiming to reconnect individuals with a deeper Jewish perspective.

TRACKS
Southeast US Premiere | Directed by Maclovia G. Martel
Netherlands | 11 minutes | 2023

This visually captivating film delves into the installation of 'Stolpersteine' memorial stones, a tribute to Holocaust victims, placed in front of homes lining the central canals of Amsterdam.

WHEN LARRY MET LARRY
Southeast US Premiere | Directed by Lisa Melmed
USA | 13 minutes | 2023

Following Lisa Melmed’s Larry & Me (MJFF 2021) – about iconic American TV host Larry King’s long friendship with Herb Cohen – this new short documents the meeting of Cohen and Larry King Jr, the son King Sr didn’t know he had. A loving tribute to a small-screen star and a true mensch.