Thy Father's Chair
Deeply human … makes hoarding as urgent as global warming.
-- Steven Zetchick, Los Angeles Times
Thy Father's Chair
Abraham and Shraga are Orthodox Jewish aging twins who live a secluded existence in their inherited Brooklyn home. Since the death of their parents, they have stopped throwing away anything, hosting stray cats and accumulating all sorts of stuff.
Enraged by the situation, the upstairs tenant threatens to stop paying them rent unless they proceed with a radical cleaning of their apartment. Abraham and Shraga are forced to open their doors to a specialized cleaning company.
What ensues seems at first only a traumatic invasion of privacy, with the twins fighting to preserve their memories – but little by little the relationship with the head of the cleaning company begins to deepen. By painfully separating from most of their belongings, Abraham and Shraga might have a chance to recover their lost purity. They are pushed to find new solutions to many unanswered questions: how free are you within the boundaries of your heritage? How do you begin to let go the past go and live your life in the present? How do you confront the loss of your parents and become responsible for yourself?
“Thy Father’s Chair ... is first enigmatic … then actively nightmarish.” – Vadim Rizov, Filmmaker Magazine
Running time of "My Father's Chair" is 74 minutes. Plays with short film "Winter's Watch" (14 minutes). Synopsis: Ten miles off the coast of New England, a photographer spends a winter in isolation while serving as the caretaker of a vacant hotel.
Enraged by the situation, the upstairs tenant threatens to stop paying them rent unless they proceed with a radical cleaning of their apartment. Abraham and Shraga are forced to open their doors to a specialized cleaning company.
What ensues seems at first only a traumatic invasion of privacy, with the twins fighting to preserve their memories – but little by little the relationship with the head of the cleaning company begins to deepen. By painfully separating from most of their belongings, Abraham and Shraga might have a chance to recover their lost purity. They are pushed to find new solutions to many unanswered questions: how free are you within the boundaries of your heritage? How do you begin to let go the past go and live your life in the present? How do you confront the loss of your parents and become responsible for yourself?
“Thy Father’s Chair ... is first enigmatic … then actively nightmarish.” – Vadim Rizov, Filmmaker Magazine
Running time of "My Father's Chair" is 74 minutes. Plays with short film "Winter's Watch" (14 minutes). Synopsis: Ten miles off the coast of New England, a photographer spends a winter in isolation while serving as the caretaker of a vacant hotel.
Genre
Documentary,
Jewish Culture
Web Site
Runtime
88
Language
English
Director
Alex Lora,
Antonio Tibaldi
FEATURED REVIEW
Jordan Hoffman, Village Voice
This immersive, richly detailed snapshot of hoarders undergoing a mandated apartment cleaning is equal parts horror film and existential howl. We first meet Abraham (pronounced Avram), a defensive man who nervously stammers as workers in protective plastic toss junk from closets and vacuum up rodent ...
Played at
Lumiere Music Hall 10.20.17 - 10.26.17
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