Joan Micklin Silver, who died on Dec. 31 at age 85, proved that for American Jewish women, being a film director means facing challenges of assimilation not unlike those confronted by immigrant ancestors generations ago.
Like the “Bintel Brief” Yiddish advice column in The Forverts, “Yekl,” like “Hester Street,” seethed with passions of Russian Jews trying to adapt to a new world.
The low-budget informality and authenticity of “Hester Street,” much of it performed in Yiddish, was augmented by editing rhythms that recalled the silent movie era, as did the truly unearthly performance by Carol Kane as Gitl, a wife who initially experiences problems coping with American ways.
Born to Russian Jewish parents in Omaha, Nebraska, Joan Micklin Silver launched her feature film career in 1975 with
Hester Street, a film based on a short story by Abraham Cahan. She wrote the screenplay as well as directing the film that portrays the Jewish-American immigrant experience and which served as a tribute to her parents and heritage.
Initially a music teacher and freelance writer in Cleveland, Ohio, Micklin Silver was inspired to work in film when she saw Satyajit Ray’s
Pather Panchali (1955). When her family moved to New York City in 1967, she seized this opportunity and began her filmmaking career as a screenwriter for educational film companies. Commissioned by the Learning Corporation of America, Micklin Silver wrote and directed the short
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Wheels on reels
The Heritage Transport Museum near Gurugram has put up a unique exhibition of film posters and lobby cards.
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The Heritage Transport Museum near Gurugram has put up a unique exhibition of film posters and lobby cards.
Express News Service
A train chugs into a charming little station as a handsome Rajesh Khanna sings his heart out to the coy Sharmila Tagore in Aradhana. The bells of a rickshaw tug at our heartstrings as Balraj Sahni races with it in Calcutta in Bimal Roy’s stunning tale of rural displacement, Do Bigha Zamin.