A24 has acquired rights to their first ever foreign language purchase, Joshua Z. Weinstein’s Menashe, according to Deadline. As Weinstein’s narrative feature debut, the film is one of the first movie’s to be performed almost entirely in Yiddish in over 70 years. Weinstein also wrote the film with Alex Lipschultz and Musa Syeed.
The film was shot covertly within New York’s Hasidic community in Brooklyn’s Borough Park over two years. It is based on the life of actor Menashe Lustig (who also stars) and his famously private community, telling the story about the strong and universal bond between father and son. Lustig struggles to maintain custody of his son as a single father in a cultural society that requires a mother in every home.
The film premiered at Sundance to glowing reviews and will soon make its international premiere at Berlin in the coming week. A24 is planning an awards season push for the film which is already winning over audiences. According to A24 representatives:
Our entire company has fallen in love with this magical and beautiful film. Filmmaker Joshua Z Weinstein has done an incredible job of presenting the movie’s unique setting with great authenticity and fresh insights, but at the same time, this is a film whose warmth, tenderness, and heart-stirring depiction of family and love will resonate with audiences everywhere. Menashe is an absolute gem, and we are extremely proud to be putting it out in the world.
Weinstein seconded the excitement, saying, “Our cast took an extraordinary risk stepping outside the confines of their community to take part in this film, and our team couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with the daring A24 to release this unique movie.”
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