Mending The Torn Curtain
Yiddish theatre emerged in the modern era in 1876, in a tavern in Jassy, Romania. By the 1930’s it reached the height of its popularity. Original plays, musicals and translations were performed internationally by hundreds of theatres. On the eve of WWII there were approximately 12 million Yiddish speakers around the world and hundreds of theatres. After the war only 7 million remained. Today there are less than 2 million speakers…and less than a dozen Yiddish theatres.
Mending The Torn Curtain by Co-writer\Producer Ben Gonshor and Co-writer\Director Raphael Levy tells the moving story of the creation of the first ever Montreal International Yiddish Theatre Festival; an in gathering of all the surviving Yiddish theatres from around the world for a week long celebration of theatre, cinema, music, outdoor events and learning exchanges.
Edited from over 100 hours of supporting footage and told through the framework of the Festival, behind the scenes conversations, interviews and personal anecdotes, Mending The Torn Curtain weaves a story of a passion for Yiddish theatre and culture as well as the importance of promoting this legacy for future generations to come.
Photos: Robi Cohen
