The Ancient Law

Baruch, a rabbi’s son in mid-1800s Galicia, yearns to become an actor. Against the wishes of his father, Baruch breaks with orthodox tradition and leaves his shtetl to join a traveling theatre troupe, eventually becoming one of Vienna’s stars of the stage. But the appeal of the stage cannot relieve Baruch of the guilt and longing he feels for home. A precursor to Hollywood’s The Jazz Singer, this 1923 silent gem features wonderful scenes of shtetl life and is one of the very first films to have addressed the subject of assimilation. This digitally-restored print first premiered at the most recent Berlinale and features a new ensemble music score by French composer Philippe Schoeller.