What's in a Name (2014)

What's in a Name is about sculpting identities, both in terms of how the world sees us and how we view ourselves. These themes are woven into the juxtaposition of two stories that form a dialogue across generations. In the 1930's the filmmaker's grandfather changed the family name to avoid anti-Jewish quotas and get engineering work designing the Los Angeles freeways. The filmmaker reclaims the name for his online identity, a film festival books his ticket under this name, and he's taken into a holding cell accused of being an imposter. The question of Jewish identity and authenticity of culture is examined through home movies, archival footage, interviews and abstract recreations.