Close Up

18 September 2017: Zorro’s Bar Mitzwa

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Zorro’s Bar Mitzwa
Ruth Beckermann
2006 | 90 min | Colour | DCP

At the Wailing Wall or in the spotlight of a stage, wearing a Zorro costume or a designer dress, solemn or rollicking: crossing the threshold to the adult world can take place in very different ways. This film accompanies four 12-year-olds – Sharon, Tom, Moishy and Sophie – as they prepare for their bar or bat mitzvot. It takes a critical and ironic look at Jewish tradition and its interpretations, questions the significance of initiation rituals, and attempts to explore the diffuse terrain of adolescence.


Part of our season on Ruth Beckermann, curated and introduced by Colm McAuliffe.