Maybe--being neither Jewish nor lesbian--I missed the larger point of Treyf (which means "unkosher"), Alisa Lebow and Cynthia Madansky's film about what it means to be a secular Jewish lesbian today. Lebow and Madansky, who met during an "alternative" Passover seder in Brooklyn and quickly became a couple, start their autobiographical film off on a funny note, purchasing all kosher food in a grocery store, trotting out kitschy versions of Jewish religious symbols, rapidly advancing through real and faux educational filmstrips (on, for instance, koshering chicken). But then the film turns to more serious matters while retaining the overblown quality set up in the lighter segments (commenting on their obsession with all matters Jewish, the duo are shown madly cutting out a bunch of newspaper articles on anything tangentially relating to Judaism--joke or reality? Don't know.) This uneasy uncertainty continues as Lebow and Madansky travel to Jerusalem, where the latter (who lived in Jerusalem) tries to convince the former to emigrate (conveyed via awkward--and plainly scripted--voiceover conversations). Later, they return to New York to walk around the Jewish neighborhood in which Lebow grew up (technically, this scene "mirrors" the Jerusalem return-to-roots scene, and "technical" is exactly how it feels). Finally, apropos of not much, Lebow and Madansky throw a big party for Jewish lesbians who offer a few interview bites and do the communal "Fiddler" dance schtick. Overall, as Treyf progressed, I got the nagging feeling that it was less a film about something than a film looking for something to be about. There's a crucial difference. Very optional. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)
Treyf
(1998) 55 min. $99: public libraries; $295: colleges & universities. Women Make Movies. PPR. Vol. 14, Issue 3
Treyf
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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