Hester Street

Joan Micklin Silver's 1975 film is set on New York's Lower East Side at the end of the nineteenth century. Yankel came from Russia, changed his name to Jake, cut his beard and now counts himself American. When his wife Gitl and their son arrive years later the distance between them shows; she wants to keep her customs while he is ashamed of how she looks. The film treats assimilation from both sides: his Americanness never gets beyond imitation, while she slowly learns to find her own way. Much of the dialogue is in Yiddish, delivered with subtitles, which was an unusual choice at the time. It was made independently on a small budget. Carol Kane's performance was nominated for an Academy Award. Who it's for: viewers who like immigrant stories and American independent cinema of the seventies. Who it's not for: anyone expecting a brisk account; the film stays small in scale.