Join us for the launch of our Joan Micklin Silver film season with a special 50th-anniversary screening of her landmark debut, Hester Street (1975).
This restored 4K version brings to life the landmark debut that launched Silver into the spotlight.
Set in New York's Lower East Side in 1896, the film follows Gitl (played by an Oscar-nominated Carol Kane), a young Orthodox Jewish woman who arrives in America to reunite with her husband.
She soon discovers he has embraced a new American identity, leaving Gitl to grapple with culture clashes, shifting traditions, and a profound journey of self-discovery. A powerful and enduring tale of identity, assimilation, and the challenges of tradition, Hester Street is just as relevant today as it was five decades ago.
This special screening will be followed by a Q&A with Dr. Julia Wagner, author of the forthcoming book, Hester Street (BFI Film Classics / Bloomsbury). Julia's book is the first to devote critical attention to the film's trailblazing feminist, Jewish, and independent filmmaking legacies.
The book is available for pre-order here, and will also be on sale at JW3 throughout the Joan Micklin Silver film season.
