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Divan

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Divan (2004)

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95 %
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Reviews Counted: 20

Fresh: 19

Rotten:1

Average Rating: 7.1/10

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 77 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:Mar 17, 2004 Limited

Synopsis: In this charming memoir documentary, director Pearl Gluck uses humor to diffuse her take on the serious topics of alienation from one's family and culture, the legacy of the Holocaust, and the... In this charming memoir documentary, director Pearl Gluck uses humor to diffuse her take on the serious topics of alienation from one's family and culture, the legacy of the Holocaust, and the celebrity cult of Hasidic Jewish rabbis. Born into a Brooklyn Hasidic community, Gluck left when her mother divorced her father and chose a secular life. After years of estrangement from her father and conflicted feelings about her Hasidic upbringing, Gluck goes on a quest to retrieve a revered divan, a family heirloom upon which a famous rabbi once slept, in hopes that bringing this iconic couch back to her father will bring the two together. In her pursuit, Gluck meets her extended family (of varying religious orthodoxy) in Hungary, takes part (along with her father) in a pilgrimage to the graves of Hasidic rabbis, and interviews a series of people who have chosen to leave the Hasidic community. Tongue-in-cheek, self-reflexive nods to the story fuel the film's fast-paced humor. For example, Gluck chooses the coveted sofa, a symbol of the power of Hasidic rabbis and faith, to seat interviewees who have left the Hasidic community. The surprise twist of an ending provides an extra jab at the restrictive male forces Gluck challenges throughout the film, and provides a sardonically funny solution to Gluck's dilemma of identity. DIVAN is the result of a Hungarian Yiddish oral history project, funded by a Fulbright scholarship Gluck received while studying at New York University. [More]

Director: Pearl Gluck

Director: Pearl Gluck
Producer: Pearl Gluck
Screenwriter: Pearl Gluck, Susan Korda
Composer: Frank London
Studio: Zeitgeist Films

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Release:

Sep 20, 2005

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Reviews for Divan

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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A sly, sweet, and consistently enlightening documentary about family, love, and religion ... and a couch.

Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | comment Comment
11/13/05
Scott Weinberg
DVDTalk.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
09/26/05
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Fascinating personal view of Hasidism.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
05/23/05
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

As it is, Divan is akin to meeting someone serendipitously on a train or cafe -- someone you like well enough -- who tells you his or her life story in all its detail and assumes you're completely enthralled.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
08/13/04
Jonathan Curiel
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Interesting, touching and informative.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
08/08/04
Eric Monder
Film Journal International

The filmmaker is a likable protagonist/ethnographer whose self-deprecating wit and sweet-tempered chutzpah make her odyssey easy viewing. It's also surprisingly moving.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
05/22/04
Sheri Linden
Boxoffice Magazine

A touching and humorous documentary.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
05/21/04
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Amusing, informative documentary.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
05/21/04
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

An appealing essay on how material possessions can channel our deepest longings.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
05/20/04
Ella Taylor
L.A. Weekly

A charming and astute first-person documentary.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
05/14/04
Mark Jenkins
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
05/14/04
Arizona Republic
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This is someone's home movie, and an endearing one at that, but it isn't made well enough to justify an admission price.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
04/30/04
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

Divan is an engrossing documentary about a father-daughter relationship, a search for roots, Hasidism, and a treasure from the past.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
03/21/04
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

An absolutely charming first-person documentary.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
03/21/04
Lou Lumenick
New York Post
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A warm and engaging home movie.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
03/19/04
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Investigation into an individual's connection to their history and their community, and the nature of what we regard as sacred and why.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
03/18/04
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Makes up in energy and high spirits what it lacks in structure and style.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
03/18/04
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
03/18/04
AV Club
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Pearl Gluck has made what may be the first movie to evoke in equal measure the attraction of Hasidic Judaisim and the equally compelling reasons she abandoned it.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
03/18/04
Stephen Holden
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A jaunty, insightful and unabashedly self-indulgent reflection on Hasidic culture and family expectations.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
03/18/04
Jan Stuart
Newsday
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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