A bit about the story:

In a modern-day allegory for the exodus from Egypt, cousins Noa and Noam (we know) must wander New York in order to discover their own connection to Judaism. Just as the Jews in the desert had to shed their past in order to make it through exile, so must our heroes shed their guilt, knishes, and summer camp trauma.

The tone:

New York Judaism is so vast; that capturing it could only be done through spirituality and food. We lean into the Kabbalah for inspiration -- the entire movie will be a fever dream that takes place in New York; while also taking place in the spaces between awake and sleep.

From the better writer:

I set out to make this film to find ways to celebrate Jewishness in America — we’re so often asked to mourn and remember all of the terrible things our people have gone through (the existence of gefilte fish, the Seinfeld finale, and grocery store bagels, to name a few). 

The film was heavily inspired by Kabbalah (not the Madonna kind), the concept of Jewish mysticism, and how we connect our soul to our religious journey. What would it mean if the Exodus from Egypt, where the Jews wandered for 40 years after escaping slavery, was one big soul searching acid trip (Sorry Rabbi Steingold don’t be mad)? That desert isn’t actually that big; 40 years is a long time to walk in circles – even if your mom is always over your shoulder complaining about how much her feet hurt.

So I did my own research into Kabbalah. I wanted to learn more about the spirituality of Judaism as a way to find distance from the weight of the news, technology, and history that feels so interconnected to “identity”. The Ein Sof is a main component of the Kabbalah, the boundless energy that is everything. There’s no searching for connection to faith or G#d; it’s simply the radical act of being that encapsulates this incomprehensible essence.

In our film, Noa and Noam, two extremely New York Jews, try to outrun the weight of their guilt — and go on a 40 hour journey across NYC being pulled by the Ein Sof in impossible ways.

This is ultimately a comedy about yearning, identity, spirituality, and the search for meaning in modern Jewish life. There is no one answer, there is no one way to believe or belong. It’s all the way.

-Jacob

What your money gets us!

$10 Coffee

Helps keep cast and crew caffeinated through early mornings and late-night shoots.

$15 Subway & Transit Fund

Helps get our team across NYC with gear, wardrobe, and props in tow.

$25 Equipment Transport

Gets us an UberXL to move cameras, lighting, props, and production equipment between locations.

$35 Production Supplies

Helps cover batteries, tape, SD cards, chargers, extension cords, and all the tiny things every shoot burns through.

$50 Feed the Crew

Feeds 5 people lunch during a long day on set.

$100 Props & Wardrobe

Helps us source props, wardrobe pieces, and last-minute set dressing from around NYC and Amazon at 1am.

$150 Location Expenses

Supports paying location fees, parking, and the unpredictable costs of filming all across New York City.

$200 Lighting & Camera Support

Contributes to lighting setups, camera accessories, grip equipment, and gear transportation.

$350 Full Production Day Support

Helps power an entire day of filming: meals, transportation, equipment movement, supplies, and logistics.

$500 Editing Support

Supports the editing process, including software, hard drives, file storage, and long post-production hours shaping the final film.

$750 Post-Production Fund

Helps cover color correction, sound mixing, music, exports, and the finishing touches that bring the film to life.

$1,000 Indie Film Champion

Supports every stage of the project: production, editing, post-production, and the countless behind-the-scenes costs of making an independent film in NYC.

lol I got a lunch break today against all odds and whipped this out

The TEAM:

Rachel Wortell (Co-writer, Co-director) is a Jewish filmmaker in New York City. Her comedic features A Sibling Mystery and Romance Analyst are available to stream!

Jacob Baim (Co-writer, Co-director) is a reform Jew who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago; and loves a great passover dinner. He's an actor who has worked regionally at Writer's Theatre, Drury Lane, The Marriott, and was Jeff Nominated at Northlight. He's also performed internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe. Graduated from Northwestern University with a B.S. in performance and extra modules in Playwrighting and Musical Theatre.

Abby Doermann (Producer) is a Broadway marketer and producer with Broadway credits including Company and The Rose Tattoo. She is currently an Account Manager at AKA NYC. Her favorite projects include A Strange Loop, Othello, Swept Away, and Buena Vista Social Club. Abby’s current producing endeavors include new musical The Chosen One and Noa and Noam Go to a Bris. She is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Theatre Management program. In her spare time, she enjoys playing D&D, talking about Heathers, and seeing films as a proud member of the AMC A-List.

Natalie Torn (Producer/Rebbetzin) is a filmmaker, editor, actor, and musician with a deep love for visual storytelling. A graduate of NYU Gallatin, she is passionate about bringing authentic and vibrant representation to the niche and overlooked corners of Jewish life that are rarely seen in media. Her creative voice has been shaped by time immersed in Jewish communities in New York, Jerusalem, and Chicago, where she draws inspiration from the textures of everyday life and the Hebrew language.

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