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Sabbath Queen

Sandi DuBowski
/ United States
/ 2024
/ 102 mins
/ English, Hebrew, Yiddish
International Premiere

Drag queen rebel, radical rabbi of reinvention, interfaith love and peace. 

“Awe-inspiring. Enthralling. Sabbath Queen is a rich and intimate portrait… One of the best films I’ve seen this year." - The Hollywood Report
“Provocative…Adds plenty of fuel to an already fiery debate.” - Variety
“an unforgettable protagonist... transformative… incredibly timely…Complexity mixed with the timeliness of our geopolitical situation makes this documentary one to watch for awards season." - Hammer to Nail

Filmed over 21 years the film follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie's epic journey as the dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis. He is torn between rejecting and embracing his destiny and becomes a drag-queen rebel, a queer father, and the founder of Lab/Shul - an everybody-friendly, God-optional, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation. 

The film joins Amichai on a lifelong quest to creatively and radically reinvent religion and ritual, challenge patriarchy and supremacy, champion interfaith love, and stand up for peace, ceasefire, and an end to the Occupation in Israel/Palestine. The film interrogates what Jewish survival means in a difficult rapidly changing 21st century. 

Director Sandi DuBowski was present for Q&A following the in-cinema screenings in Christchurch and Auckland.

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Film Info

Director: Sandi DuBowski
Producer: Sandi DuBowski
Country: United States
Language: English, Hebrew, Yiddish
Year: 2024
Duration: 102 mins
Category: Bridges of Understanding
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