If You’re Hungry, Sing. If You Ache, Laugh.

Si tu as faim, chante. Si tu as mal, ris.

Sam Rechtman entered the world 104 years ago on July 7th,1914 in the Polish village of Chelm. The second of four siblings, born to a communist mother and deeply religious father, young Sam came of age when Russian pogroms still necessitated hiding places for Jewish kids to escape being murdered. He recounts the wilder aspects of his childhood—from an early run in with the 1917 Revolution in Warsaw to the rampant prejudice faced by Jewish families—with wry humour and equanimity shaped by more than a century of experience.
Director Michèle Smolkin illustrates her uncle’s anecdotes through charming animation (by Elise Laroche), archival footage, and a buoyant score. But the real star of the film is the timeless art of storytelling.

Sponsors
Eli Gorn and Nathan Neumer