Der Dibuk (1937). © National Center for Jewish Film.
(Michal Waszynski, Poland 1937, 123 min., DCP, Yiddish w/subtitles)
Rochester Jewish Film Festival Preview. This Yiddish film classic is based on the celebrated play of the same name by S. Ansky. The idea for the play came to Ansky as traveled through small towns of Eastern Europe leading a Jewish folklore expedition (cut short by the outbreak of World War I). In Der Dibuk, boundaries separating the natural from the supernatural dissolve as ill-fated pledges, unfulfilled passions, and untimely deaths ensnare two families in a tragic labyrinth of spiritual possession. Made on location in Poland in 1937, the film brought together the best talents of Polish Jewry: script writers, composers, choreographers, set designers, actors, and historical advisors. The exquisite musical and dance interludes evoke the cultural richness of shtetls on the eve of World War II.
New digital restoration and new English subtitles by the National Center for Jewish Film, jewishfilm.org.