My Mexican Shivah / Morirse Está En Hebreo

Summary

Set in Polanco, the Jewish quarter of Mexico City, this dramatic comedy shows how the death of a man results in the celebration of his life. The seven days of mourning, or shivah, of beloved Jewish-Mexican patriarch Moishe Tartovsky is the occasion for a colorful gathering of family, friends and lovers, capped off by a mariachi band singing "Hava Nagila." The odds are against Moishe from the beginning. Family dysfunction aside, Moishe´s friends are attending his funeral for their own motives. And to make matters worse, while performing his duties, a a member of the Chevra Kadisha is milking the family for all they're worth. Which angel will accompany Moishe's soul in its journey to the Almighty? If the shivah reveals anything, it's that Moishe´s family and friends loved him with all his flaws and mystery- and most of all his spirit. The film is based on a short story by Ilan Stavans, and produced by John Sayles and Maggie Renzi, with an original score by the Klezmatics.