CASTING

«Wanted: for feature film, Yiddish speaking men and women between the ages of 65 to 90.» That is the text of an ad that director Emmanuel Finkiel published in the French Jewish press. The auditions held between the years 1994 to 1998, form the basis of the film. The «actors» endow the pre-written dialogues with their own personal voice and memories, whereby a remarkable culture is revealed. Anecdotes and life stories interchange with texts written for the films' imaginary characters, together forming a rich portrait of the Jewish Ashkenazi community in France. This is a journey to the memories and the roots, in a fascinating attempt to both portray and preserve the Yiddish language.