The Sacred Society (2024)
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Country:
USA
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Duration:
12 min
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- Type:
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Genre:
animation, historical
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Director:
Benny Zelkowicz
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Producer:
Benny Zelkowicz
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Cast:
Mayer Hirsh ben, Avraham v'Rochel, Binyamin Yosef ben
About film
For millennia, Jews have observed the sacred ritual of preparing bodies for burial – a quiet labor hidden from view. In his film, Benny Zalkow illuminates this largely unseen practice, transforming it through mesmerizing sand animation. The film is a meditation on the fragility of the body, the importance of ritual, and the power of touch.
Rewards and nominations
- Winner — Best Short Film, Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (USA)
- Winner — Best Short Film, Toronto Jewish Film Festival (Canada)
- Winner — Silver Award for Best Documentary Film, Los Angeles Animation Festival (USA)
Director
Benny Zelkowicz is a Canadian-American animator, director, writer, and educator. Born in Ottawa, he graduated from CalArts, where he studied under Jules Engel, Raimund Krumme, and Suzan Pitt. He worked on projects including Robot Chicken, Supermansion, Moral Orel, and The Simpsons. His film The ErlKing has been screened at Lincoln Center, the Sundance Film Festival, and festivals in Annecy, Hiroshima, and Zagreb. Zalkowicz teaches animation at Ohio State University.
Trailer
Director
Benny Zelkowicz is a Canadian-American animator, director, writer, and educator. Born in Ottawa, he graduated from CalArts, where he studied under Jules Engel, Raimund Krumme, and Suzan Pitt. He worked on projects including Robot Chicken, Supermansion, Moral Orel, and The Simpsons. His film The ErlKing has been screened at Lincoln Center, the Sundance Film Festival, and festivals in Annecy, Hiroshima, and Zagreb. Zalkowicz teaches animation at Ohio State University.
