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Project Information

Project type: Short film
Running time: 10 minutes
Format: Super-8
Aspect ratio: 1.66
Release date: May 13, 2009
Production companies: Better Archangel Pictures
Filming locations: Austin, Texas.

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Synopsis

Emotionally uprooted after the recent death of her husband, Esther Kern (Diane Hruska) is trying to return to normal life after completing her shiva—a weeklong period of family mourning mandated in the Jewish religion. Mrs. Kern’s children—a successful ophthalmologist and the wife of a busy businessman—have long since moved away to start families of their own, setting aside the traditions of the Jewish faith which she so cherishes for the concerns of daily life.

Tentatively embarking upon her reentry into the world, Mrs. Kern is visited by a cable repairman (Scott Bate), who has come to her house to fix a problem with her reception. Deprived of her lifetime role as both wife and mother, she tries to forge an emotional connection with this stranger—telling stories about her family and bringing him cake and coffee—all in an effort to fill the void left by her recent loss. But unsure of what to make of this unexpected situation, the repairman is at once taken aback and drawn in by the residue of the tragedy that lingers in the home.

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Festivals Screenings