The Cave Synagogue (2024)
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Country:
Uganda, USA
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Duration:
8 min
- Program:
- Type:
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Genre:
essay, history, biography
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Director:
Peter Decherney
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Producer:
Sara Byala, Peter Decherney
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Cast:
J.J. Keki
About film
An eight-minute lyrical miniature in which JJ Keki, an elder of Uganda’s Abayudaya Jewish community, takes his sons on a journey to a cave where, during Idi Amin’s rule, Judaism was banned but their faith was secretly preserved. This path is not just a physical trek but a pilgrimage into memory, carried across decades.
Rewards and nominations
- Official Selection — Jewish Film Festivals in Miami, Santa Barbara, New Jersey, and Atlanta
Director
Peter Decherney is a filmmaker, professor of cinema at the University of Pennsylvania, and curator of the Penn Global Documentary Institute. He works closely with communities in Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Africa, sharing the stories of African Jews. His previous film, Dreaming of Jerusalem, was shown at the Pan-African Film Festival.
Trailer
Director
Peter Decherney is a filmmaker, professor of cinema at the University of Pennsylvania, and curator of the Penn Global Documentary Institute. He works closely with communities in Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Africa, sharing the stories of African Jews. His previous film, Dreaming of Jerusalem, was shown at the Pan-African Film Festival.
