Yizkor Austria, 1924, 100 minutes, b&w
Public Exhibition Formats: 16mm, Beta |
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"Yizkor presents Jewish life evolving in dialectical relation to the Gentile world--a point of particular relevance for a city as simultaneously charged by political antisemitism and Jewish cultural achievement as postwar Vienna,"
-J. Hoberman, Bridge of Light: Yiddish Film Between Two Worlds
Synopsis
Yizkor dramatizes its theme of fidelity to one's self, one's community and one's religion through a plot that revolves around hostage-taking, heroism and resistance. In a small Volhynian village, the local Count's daughter falls in love with Leybke, a handsome Jewish guardsman, but all her attempts to win him fail as he is in love with and betrothed to Kreyndl. The Countess desperately tries to seduce Leybke, and avenges her failure by falsely accusing him of attacking her. Arrested on the eve of his wedding, Leybke escapes and marries Kreyndl, but after they flee the entire Jewish community is held hostage. Leybke gives himself up, is buried alive and the Countess commits suicide.
Selected Screenings
University of Michigan, Frankel Center for Judaic Studies (2015)
Vienna Jewish Film Festival, Vienna Film Archive (2008)
NCJF Film Restoration
Restoration was completed with funding from The Pinewod Foundation, The National Foundation for Jewish Culture and from The Nathan Cummings Foundation with additional support from Brandeis University, American Film Institute, National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Shelley Fineberg and from Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek.
The original materials used in this restoration came from a 35mm nitrate print of a 1930's Yiddish sound remake re-titled The Prince and the Pauper and a 35mm fine grain print from Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin, Germany.
Credits
Director Sidney M. Goldin
Producers Sidney M. Goldin & Ivan Abramson
Screenplay Harry Sekler based on his play
Executive Director Sharon Pucker Rivo
Associate Director Miriam Saul Krant
Research Consultant Sylvia Fuks Fried
Technical Directors Robert Borowski, Richard Pontius
Translation Peter A. Stark
Title Production Loren S. Miller
Title Animation Frame Shop
Laboratory John E. Allen, Inc.
Cast
Maurice Schwartz (Leybke)
Karl Gotz (Stefan, Captain of the Guard)
Oskar Beregi (Count Zsaky)
Dagny Servals (Helena, his daughter)
Berta Gersten (Jadviga, her chambermaid)
Anna Appel (Zsusi, Leybke's foster mother)
Isidor Casher (Steward)
Wolf Silberberg (Rabbi)
Jacob Mestel (Second Rabbi)
Josef Scwarzberg (Sexton)
Fritz Strassny (Scribe)
Betty Reve (Kreyndl)
Bine Abramowitz (Grandmother)
Wolf Goldfaden (Zimel the Innkeeper)
Mark Schweid (Hunchback)
Moshe Strassberg (Jailor)
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Also directed by Sidney M. Goldin
The Cantor's Son (Uncredited)
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