Abe Friedtanzer
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in Interviews, TV
Interview: ‘Dear Edward’ Red Carpet Premiere Conversations
The new Apple TV+ series Dear Edward got off to a great start with a star-studded red carpet at the Directors Guild of America Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The show follows Edward (Colin O’Brien), the lone survivor of a plane crash, and the many people affected and moving through stages of grief. […] More
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in Reviews
Film Review: ‘Shtetlers’ is a Layered Look at the Past and Present of Once-Thriving Jewish Communities
Millions of lives were lost during the Holocaust, and along with them, a culture that cannot truly be replaced. Many Jews had already left Europe in search of a stabler and safer life in America or elsewhere, and those who survived the Holocaust emigrated there and to the ancient homeland of Israel. What exists now […] More
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Sundance Film Festival Review: ‘Joonam’ is an Intimate and Enlightening Look at an Iranian-American Family
It can be difficult for people from different generations to connect, even within the same family. Their experiences are not entirely similar, and the way in which a grandparent or parent creates a particular environment for their descendants shapes the circumstances under which they are raised and see the world. Filmmaker Sierra Urich takes an […] More
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Sundance Film Festival Review: ‘The Persian Version’ is an Involving Family Saga with Several Embedded Stories
Having multiple identities isn’t easy, and it can often lead to both internal and external conflict. But there are also advantages to being part of more than one culture and having influences that aren’t all the same. Being raised by immigrant parents means that aspects of their heritage and past will be mixed with assimilated […] More
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in Festivals, Interviews
Interview: Aleeza Chanowitz on Her Very Funny, Boundary-Pushing Sundance-Selected Israeli Comedy ‘Chanshi’
Many observant Jews go to Israel, typically to study or to find a way to be closer to their heritage. But for Chanshi, the protagonist of the Israeli series from HOT that is screening at the Sundance Film Festival in the Indie Episodic program, she just wants to have sex with Israeli soldiers. What ensues […] More
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Sundance Film Festival Review: ‘A Still Small Voice’ is a Poignant and Quiet Look at Spiritual Care
Spiritual care is, for many, a very important part of loss and grief. When something unexpected or unfortunate occurs, people tend to turn towards a higher power. It doesn’t have to be the same god or even a deity at all, but there is a comfort that comes from the idea of praying or just […] More
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Sundance Film Festival Review: ‘Under G-d’ is an Important and Informative Short about Reproductive Justice
There is an assumption many people make that religion says abortion is not permitted. That’s a narrow view, however, which doesn’t speak to the different faiths that exist within the United States and the world, and addresses only the loudest and most conservative voices. Many high-profile cases of “religious freedom” involve the right of a […] More
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Sundance Film Festival TV Review: ‘Chanshi’ Provides An Entertaining And Clever Insight for a Specific Audience
The ability to parody something effectively is enhanced considerably by lived experience and a true understanding of what’s being mocked. The level of detail and specificity may only be discernible to those “in the know,” providing perhaps unneeded content to audiences coming to the subject for the first time. The Israeli comedy series Chanshi, screening […] More
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in Interviews
Interview: April Bowlby on Playing Actress and Superhero Rita Farr in ‘Doom Patrol’
There are few shows that regularly employ completely wild, off-the-wall plot points and manage to remain coherent and incredibly watchable. For HBO Max’s Doom Patrol, now in its fourth season, weird is the name of the game, and the superhero team facing an army of zombie butts somehow doesn’t feel all that strange. The fantastic […] More
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in Interviews
Interview: Diane Guerrero on Crazy Jane and the Buttpocalypse in ‘Doom Patrol’
There are few shows that regularly employ completely wild, off-the-wall plot points and manage to remain coherent and incredibly watchable. For HBO Max’s Doom Patrol, now in its fourth season, weird is the name of the game, and the superhero team facing an army of zombie butts somehow doesn’t feel all that strange. The fantastic […] More
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in Interviews
Interview: The Cast and Creator of ‘Kindred’ on Bringing a Meaningful Time-Traveling Story to Life
FX’s Kindred, an adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 book from creator Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, tells the story of Dana (Mallori Johnson), who is mysteriously able to travel back in time to a nineteenth-century plantation, where she learns plenty about herself and her family. The show blends science-fiction with rich historical drama, with a bit of […] More
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in Interviews
Interview: Will Sharpe on Ethan’s Journey and the Experience of ‘The White Lotus’
HBO’s The White Lotus boasts an entirely new cast for its second, Italy-set season, with two notable exceptions. Among its very worthwhile additions is Will Sharpe, who plays Ethan, husband to Harper (Aubrey Plaza) and friend of Cameron (Theo James), whose freer lifestyle and influence quickly leads Ethan towards trouble. Awards Radar had the chance […] More