Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm
About
SWEDISHKAYT follows self-proclaimed "international Yiddish-ish icons" YidLife Crisis, the Canadian performing/filmmaking duo of Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman, as they continue their journey to demystify the Jewish world, this time in a whirlwind trip to Stockholm.
YidLife provides the ‘(gefilte) fish out of water’ perspective on the little known story of the Swedish Jews, from the first Jewish immigrant 250 years ago to today's 'Jew's-Who,' and then somehow finds the time to reflect this all back onstage in a performance for this whole community. Tying the experience together is the common thread of Yiddish language and culture, the very thing which connects this Montreal-based duo to Sweden, where the language is, to the duo's great surprise - a protected minority language (!?!)
From meeting like-minded Yiddish speaking cousins from across the Atlantic to finding the comedy in the diary of community founder Aaron Isaac to straight talk with Stockholm’s Jewish youth over beer and bites, SWEDISHKAYT is a feel-good community portrait which depicts a diverse and thriving minority, demonstrates the ever-evolving interplay of language, culture and identity, and celebrates finding common ground and sweet surprises where you'd least expect them.
Director Biography - Eli Batalion & Jamie Elman (YidLife Crisis)
Jamie Elman & Eli Batalion are filmmakers, writers and performers hailing from Montreal with credits spanning 25 years of theater, music, television and film - from starring in Mad Men, House MD and Curb Your Enthusiasm to writing, directing and producing films shown at the Sundance, Toronto, Berlin and SXSW film festivals.
Their unique friendship spawned an irreverent tribute to the Yiddish language, culture and comedic tradition they were reared on. Calling it “YidLife Crisis,” they hatched the world’s first Yiddish sitcom, toasting, roasting and wrestling with the modern Jewish experience. Its popularity has led to various awards and nominations, over 4 million online views, frequent live performances across North America and Europe, and hours of documentary content covering their travels and the Jewish diaspora.