Where Life Begins

Guest Speaker: Dr. Laura Mason, Teaching Professor Film and Media Studies/History, Johns Hopkins University

An ultra-orthodox Jewish family from France comes to a farm in Calabria for a brief stay every year to carry out a sacred mission: harvesting citrons. Here Elio, the farm owner, meets Esther, the rabbi’s daughter, who is tired of the constraints imposed by her religion. Together, Esther and Elio will explore what it means to define their own paths.

[ Drama | 2022 | 100 minutes | Italian & French with English subtitles ]

Part of Midday Movies: Food, Flicks & Friends, a new film appreciation series exploring films of Jewish interest, with enlightening discussions with filmmakers and scholars and casual conversation with other film enthusiasts. Kosher lunch or brown bag options available.

Presented by the William & Irene Weinberg Family Baltimore Jewish Film Institute