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A Film about Antisemitism & Jewish Identity Crisis

A self-hating Jew's views are challenged by fears of his religious family's safety amid mass riots.

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A Film about Antisemitism & Jewish Identity Crisis

A Film about Antisemitism & Jewish Identity Crisis

A Film about Antisemitism & Jewish Identity Crisis

A Film about Antisemitism & Jewish Identity Crisis

A Film about Antisemitism & Jewish Identity Crisis

A self-hating Jew's views are challenged by fears of his religious family's safety amid mass riots.

A self-hating Jew's views are challenged by fears of his religious family's safety amid mass riots.

A self-hating Jew's views are challenged by fears of his religious family's safety amid mass riots.

A self-hating Jew's views are challenged by fears of his religious family's safety amid mass riots.

Ehud Sopher
Ehud Sopher
Ehud Sopher
Ehud Sopher
1 Campaign |
New York, United States
$3,240 USD 11 backers
12% of $25,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Choose your Perk

Special Thanks in the Credits

$25 USD
0 claimed

First Look + Commentary

$50 USD
0 claimed

Personalized Thank You Video

$100 USD
1 claimed

Be an Extra in the Film

$150 USD
2 claimed

Join the Crew on Set

$350 USD
1 claimed

Holocaust Survivor Interview

$750 USD
0 claimed

Associate Producer Credit

$1,000 USD
0 claimed

Executive Producer Credit

$5,000 USD
0 claimed

THE STORY OF ME & AISH 

My name is Ehud Sopher, the writer and driector of Aish, a short film about anti-semitism and a Jewish identity crisis.

I grew up in the modern-orthodox Jewish community, frankly, always feeling disillusioned by my faith, and religion in general, But, evidently, I’ve also felt bound by my roots.


Directing on the set of Day 9, my thesis film at NYU Tisch


Still from Day 9


I devoted my thesis film at NYU Tisch, Day 9, to psychoanalyzing the religious customs of my upbringing, the film becoming a finalist at the school's film festival. Only a year later, for reasons unknown, the idea for Aish entered my brain:



Back in 2019, I put this story of Aish on the shelf of my mind. Five years later, the real-time wave of anti-semitism we thought was a relic of the past has awoken the psyches of many Jews around the world, myself and this project included. 

WHY YOU SHOULD CONTRIBUTE

In these chaotic times, there is little-to-no art depicting the complex, existential inner-dialogue bouncing around the brains of many Jews, the survival instincts kicking in regardless of religiosity.

Aish is a cinematic insight into this never-ending identity crisis for Jews: trying to overcome our traumatic past by seeking acceptance in a new society that is eventually tempted to repeat it.

I feel that the need to humanize us through film is an existential emergency. If you share this urge, and feel constricted by the tribalistic media's depiction of us, contributing to nuanced art is a tangible way to be part of the change in society's perception.

WHY A SHORT FILM? WHERE DOES IT GO?

The beauty of the short film format is focusing high levels of meaning and emotion into a digestible runtime, but also the timeliness of getting it out to people. Whereas a feature film can require over a year between filming and release, a short film can be shot and get a timely topic in festivals and online within a few months


While we cannot guarantee the path of any film, short films have the potential to rapidly reach audiences around the world. Our plan is to submit to the top-tier festivals (e.g. Sundance, Cannes, SXSW, Toronto, etc.), and many more Oscar-qualifying festivals, which give filmmakers the chance at competing for an Academy Award. We won't count out the power of online streaming platforms, which festivals have learned to coexist with, as films that go viral on Youtube and Vimeo are increasingly striking deals with major studios. 

WHAT WE NEED & WHAT YOU GET BY CONTRIBUTING

In order to give this short film the greatest impact and chance of success, we still need to strive for the production value of a feature-length film within our twenty-minute runtime.

To achieve that Hollywood image and feel for even a few scenes requires a lot of labor behind the scenes. This is where your contribution makes an urgent project like this possible.



We have lofty goals for the visuals in this film, from big crowds of extras for protest scenes, to the simulation of real-life spaces engulfed in flames. Our budget goes toward paying a top-tier emotionally-invested cast of actors and a talented, ambitious crew who will create as immersive and authentic a world as possible. 

In addition to the moral and spiritual benefits of contributing, we've included incentives that offer various rewards and levels of involvement. You can find them on the right side of this page. Note that you can also contribute any custom amount without claiming these incentives as well.

OUR CORE TEAM



OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP

If you can't make a financial contribution, there are other resources you may have access to that can be a tremendous help:

  • Filming locations - a home in New York City
  • Crew members - contribute your skills to a crew position
  • Background actors
  • Catering/Meals
  • Camera gear
  • Passing this fundraiser to someone who can contribute
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