Films

Orthodox Stance

2008 / 82 mins / mini-DVCAM

ORTHODOX STANCE is a portrait of Dmitriy Salita, a Russian immigrant, professional boxer and religious Jew, and the seemingly incompatible cultures and characters—boxing trainers, promoters and orthodox rabbis—working together to support his rare and remarkable devotion to both Orthodox Judaism and the pursuit of a professional boxing title. In the end the film is about more than just boxing and religion, but a young man’s search for meaning in life.

The film premiered at the 2007 SILVERDOCS Festival, was broadcast by BBC Storyville in the UK, YES in Israel, MSG Network in New York and is being distributed on DVD by Indiepix in the US and Dogwoof in the UK. It received finishing funds from the Foundation for Jewish Culture, screened at over 40 film festivals around the world, played theatrically in New York & Los Angeles, was a “Critic’s Pick” of the NEW YORK TIMES & NEW YORK MAGAZINE and won 2008 Best Documentary honors from the London Jewish Cultural Awards.

For more information: www.OrthodoxStance.com, www.indiepixfilms.com

Breezewood, Pennsylvania

2004 / 57 mins / mini-DVCAM

As U.S. Interstate 70 passes through rural central Pennsylvania, traffic is forced to stop and travel through the quarter-mile commercial oasis of Breezewood. While the permanent population of this service community is just 200, more than 6 million travelers pass through each year. BREEZEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA is an intimate portrait of the truck drivers, travelers and homeless of the American road, and the service employees and local ministry who provide them with social, spiritual and material nourishment in one of the smallest, yet busiest, interstate crossroads in America.

BREEZEWOOD premiered as the opening night film at the Georgetown Independent Film Festival in August 2002 where it won Best Cinema Verite’. After additional US and international film festival screenings it was broadcast by PBS affiliates in Spring 2004. New York Times film critic Jeannette Catsoulis calls the film “one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen.”