Giddy for Gitl: 'Hester Street' (1975) and its Timeless Charms with Sharyn Rothstein

The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast · Apr 2, 2025 · 2h 7m

For this cycle's "Mise-Unseen" entry, Julian, Emilio and Madeline fire up 'Hester Street', Joan Micklin Silver's overlooked and under-appreciated film from 1975 depicting the struggles one Jewish family, recently immigrants to the United States, face while assimilating to life in their new homeland at the turn of the century. The trio comment on the film's unique depiction of New York City (particularly in relation to when it was first released), the unusual complexity that most characters are given, how centering Gitl's journey gives the film a strong emotional core, the film's unexpected…