Over the last year, noted artists have been studying and interpreting the steps outlined in the Passover Haggadah that together create the Seder, or order, of our remembering the Exodus from Egypt. Taking their learnings and reflecting them through their art, they've created a series of short films; the resultant video series, "Projecting Freedom: Cinematic Interpretations of the Haggadah," is now being screened in select venues in New York City, San Francisco and London, and is available for viewing at www.projectingfreedom.org.
The video shorts premiered on www.projectingfreedom.org and in New York on March 22nd at The Skirball Center. They will be shown again THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 1, at 7:30 pm at the JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St. along with a panel discussion on “Art and Interpretation: New Ways of Looking at Tradition,” featuring Jeremy Dauber, Associate Professor of Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture at Columbia University; Jewish blogger and social commentator Esther Kustanowitz (hey, that's me!); Rabbi Michael Strassfeld of The Society for the Advancement of Judaism; and, some of the participating video and film artists.
If you're in New York, please consider joining me at the JCC on Thursday night for this interesting discussion about text, art, and interpretation.
Additional information about the video series, taken from the press release:
Projecting Freedom: Cinematic Interpretations of the Haggadah is a groundbreaking artistic and educational project tied to the holiday, featuring video shorts with very personal takes on the segments of the book of liturgy, prayers, songs and rituals that is the narrative basis for the Passover seder, the traditional, ceremonial dinner of the holiday. The initiative, spearheaded by the Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning at Temple Emanu-El in New York, brought together a group of film and video makers who spent nearly a year studying the Haggadah, interpreting its various parts, and giving them expression through a 21st century art form. The individual pieces last just a few minutes each, but taken separately or together, translate the Haggadah into creative and compelling language, meaning and imagery.
“While the Haggadah has been visually interpreted in manuscripts and print for a thousand years, this may be the very first cinematic interpretation of its words, and demonstrates the continued relevance of our classic texts in the life of contemporary Jews,” said Rabbi Leon Morris, executive director of The Skirball Center. “These extraordinary video artists and filmmakers do more than fulfill the obligation of telling the story of our exodus in a new way. They translate the Haggadah into a new form and make us think about it in new ways.”
The artists have been encouraged to interpret the sections of the Haggadah in a creative manner, reflecting their own individual encounter with it. They have worked with Rabbi Morris and Saul Robbins, curator for the project, to study, explore and discuss the history, meaning and structure of the Haggadah. “This project has been a phenomenal opportunity for all of us to study, discuss, and infuse centuries-old text and rituals with contemporary ideas and modern technology,” Robbins said. “Projecting Freedom will invigorate our sense of the Haggadah and the Passover seder with new meaning and enthusiasm.”
Leveraging the digital nature of the art form and its potential for education, the shorts will live on the project’s website, www.projectingfreedom.org along with a study guide, and other filmmakers, video artists and students will be encouraged to create and submit their own cinematic interpretations of the Haggadah to be featured there. The aim, Morris said, is to spur further discussion of the Haggadah and Passover, and underscore The Skirball Center’s emphasis on artistic expression in Jewish life and education.
About the filmmakers and video artists:
The filmmakers and video artists recruited to take part in this groundbreaking initiative represent a full spectrum of cultural and religious affiliations and experiences, and many have received noted recognitions for their works and achievements. Two of them were represented in Reinventing Ritual: Contemporary Art and Design for Jewish Life, a recent exhibit at The Jewish Museum in New York that will show at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco beginning next month. “This is a diverse, accomplished and noted group of artists who bring unique and thought-provoking perspective to the Haggadah,” Morris said. “Their work will be a catalyst for further thought and interpretation by all who see it.”
The project and video shorts had their European premiere during the Other Seder event of the Jewish Community Centre for London, at Bush Hall, on March 25. A West Coast premiere will take place during the Out of Order Seder on March 31 at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. The Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning received a grant from The Covenant Foundation for Projecting Freedom: Cinematic Interpretations of the Haggadah.
For more information about Projecting Freedom: Cinematic Interpretations of the Haggadah, visit the project website at www.projectingfreedom.org.
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