Film Screening: The Ancient Law

A recently restored German silent film about Jewish life in 19th-century Europe, The Ancient Law is a precursor to Warner Brothers’ The Jazz Singer. The film tells the story of a rabbi’s son who yearns to become an actor, against the wishes of his father. With its historically authentic set design and ensemble of prominent actors, the film is an important piece of German-Jewish cinematic history that contrasts the closed world of an Eastern European shtetl with the liberal mores of 1860s Vienna. Live music accompaniment by pianist Donald Sosin and violinist Alicia Svigals. DRAMA | 1923 | 128 MINUTES GERMANY | GERMAN AND SILENT WITH ENGLISH INTERTITLES DIRECTED BY EWALD ANDRÈ DUPONT