Less Than Kosher (Musical Comedy | Canada, 2023 | 65 min.)
Director: Daniel Am Rosenberg In English and Hebrew3
Winner of the Best Film at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival 202
Described as a “Jewish Electro-Pop Musical,” Less Than Kosher is unlike any Jewish film you’ve seen… that is, unless you have seen The Jazz Singer!
Miami Film Festival puts it so well, I’ll let you hear what they report: “A favorite in the festival because it brings redemption like a dessert of the sweetest kind after a wonderfully tasty meal. An unexpected wild ride with a crazy story and amazing music.”
Bringing together the comedic essence of Shiva Baby and the musical charm of The Jazz Singer, this delightful tale dives into the tapestry of modern Jewish existence and sheds light on realities that might be considered "less than kosher." At 20, Viv was a burgeoning young singer. By 30, her once-promising music career had regrettably led her back to her mother's basement. However, destiny takes an unexpected turn when this self-proclaimed "bad Jew" finds herself reluctantly accepting a position as a Cantor at her family's synagogue. That leads her through a roundelay of weddings, brisses, and shivas — complete with fantasy production numbers — as she recovers her joy in singing. Along the way, she also finds herself entangled in a whirlwind of forbidden affairs, psychedelic experiences, tense familial conflicts, and self-discovery.