Rentals
Jewish Britain on Film
Jewish life on screen: a century of insights and hidden histories
This collection uncovers insights, injustices and hidden histories across a century of Jewish life on British screens. It brings together documentary and first-person accounts of Jewish life in the UK, alongside dramas, comedies and artists’ work exploring the 20th century Jewish experience. The earliest surviving depictions of Jewish characters in British cinema offer a troubling insight into antisemitic representation, yet prejudice was later tackled head-on, with newsreels documenting the anti-fascist movement of the 1930s. Drop in on joyous family weddings and community gatherings, and see the ways in which UK Jewry supported Jews young and old, and those fleeing persecution, in a selection of fascinating films from the 1900s to the 1980s.
This collection is generously supported by the Neil Kreitman Foundation, Shoresh Charitable Trust, John S Cohen Foundation, and Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation.
The Bespoke OvercoatThe Bespoke Overcoat
Fantasy 1955 38 minsDirector: Jack Clayton
A clerk in a cold warehouse wants one of the warm sheepskin coats stacked around him.
Simon MagusSimon Magus
Drama 2000 115 minsDirector: Ben Hopkins
Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones) stars as an outcast accused of sorcery by his fellow 19th-century villagers, in Ben Hopkins' rich and haunting allegory.
Suzie GoldSuzie Gold
Romance 2004 90 minsDirector: Ric Cantor
Girl meets goy: a Jewish princess must decide between a Jew and a gentile in this light-hearted romantic comedy
The Small World of Sammy LeeThe Small World of Sammy Lee
Drama 1963 107 minsDirector: Ken Hughes
Seedy Soho strip-club compere Sammy (Anthony Newley) races to escape the heavies who hunt him in this gritty, engrossing 1960s London thriller.
The Wandering JewThe Wandering Jew
Fantasy 1934 102 minsDirector: Maurice Elvey
After spitting on Christ on the way to crucifixion, a Jewish man is cursed with immortality
Britain's JewsBritain's Jews
1965 26 minsSilentDirector: Peter Robinson
Jewish people offer their opinions on assimilation, identity and traditional religious observance in 1960s Britain
OrthodoxOrthodox
Drama 2016 94 minsDirector: David Leon
Stephen Graham is the orthodox Jew tempted into a life of violence by his corrupt associate (Michael Smiley), in this riveting and complex crime drama.
Solomon and GaenorSolomon and Gaenor
Romance 1999 104 minsDirector: Paul Morrison
The moving and passionate story of illicit love between a Welsh girl and a Jewish boy, set against a backdrop of industrial unrest in the Welsh Valleys of 1911.
At the Fountainhead (Of German Strength)At the Fountainhead (Of German Strength)
Drama 1980 92 minsDirector: Anthea Kennedy and Nick Burton
A German-Jewish musician seeks exile in Cold War London in this rich experimental work.
Two WorldsTwo Worlds
War 1931 89 minsDirector: E.A. Dupont
An Austrian officer falls in love with a Jewish villager in this early sound epic set during WWI
The Angel with the TrumpetThe Angel with the Trumpet
Romance 1950 99 minsDirector: Anthony Bushell
Anthony Bushell directs this 1950 British drama about the rise and fall of a family of Austrian piano-makers in Vienna.
Money TalksMoney Talks
Comedy 1933 74 minsDirector: Norman Lee
Norman Lee's charming comedy Money Talks tells the story of old Abe Pilstein (Julian Rose) who is in line to inherit a large sum of money from a distant relative - but needs to prove he needs it first.
Esther KahnEsther Kahn
Drama 2001 142 minsDirector: Arnaud Desplechin
Arnaud Desplechin's artfully directed tale of a young Jewish girl drawn to the passion of theatre in 19th-century London.
The Book of GabrielleThe Book of Gabrielle
Drama 2016 79 minsDirector: Lisa Gornick
Lisa Gornick's funny and frank drama sketches the relationship between a sex-obsessed lesbian illustrator and a randy hetero author, who bond over their favourite subject.
More from Jewish Britain on Film in our Free collection.