American Film Institute - www.songofdavidmovie.com
David Fisher (played by Nosson Isaac Zand [NIZ]) is a sixteen year old soul-searching Hasidic who is studying to become a rabbi in a Los Angeles Yeshiva. Alienated by the social boundaries that enclose him, he reaches out to the broader world. He becomes obsessed with rap music, wherein he discovers artistic freedom and honest self expression. He then must choose between diverging worlds.
This this is one of the weirdest/interesting things I've ever seen, a movie on the Premises of Yeshiva Oher Elchonon of Los Angeles! All the actors are not genuine Chassidim except for the main actor who is a Baal Teshuva and Frum Boy.
From what i understand the story goes that there was a student or a film student that needed to make a short film for a certain contest. The student knew somebody in California that knew the Yeshiva and they managed to convince the Yeshiva to allow them to shoot on their campus. Originally he wanted bochurem from the Yeshiva to be the extras on his film and they were going to. But as soon as they realized what this was all about, the Yeshiva forbade it. I'm not sure if the Yeshiva was paid for the use of their facility and i doubt the Yeshiva understood what they were getting themselves into.
Although the filming took place during Pesach break, the director hung around Yeshiva foe several Months before that, observing the Yeshiva and campus. which leads me to think that the Rosh Yeshiva character is based on the Roshe, Rabbi Schochat, dean of the Campus.
Check Their Web site where they have Pictures of The "real" Yeshiva in action.
HT: The Cool Jew.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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7 comments:
The 'student' is an Israeli guy who goes to a local LA Chabad house -you'll notice a special thanks to the Chabad house, and to the shluchim there.
The Rosh got a hold of the script at some point -I believe in the middle of filming- so he most have known what was going on to some degree. Several of the actors are m'muravim of various shluchim in LA, and a Lubavitcher can be seen as one of the extras (besides for the local kids).
Wiered. I always find it awrkward to see people acting as yidden. It just doesn't do. You gotto be one, to be one!
But it was cool.
Now if only we can have some authentic jewish movies with that professionalism...
I find it interesting that the bochur was willing to do it...
the rosh only let them use the smicha zal the dining room and an english classroom he locked the mesivta zal, bais medrish zal the dormitory
why all this emphasis on becoming a "rabbi"?? I don't understand what that would impact in real life other than maybe shidduch chances. And that was not a semicha program anyway.
Menashe, i think that for the secular world every orthodox jew or yeshiva graduate is a rabbi.
sorry mottel the "student" is not is israeli hes an american bal teshuva. you can hear his rap songs at kosherhiphop.com
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