Welsh academic takes expertise in Jewish film to the Big Apple
Nathan Abrams, an expert in Jewish film and culture at 黑料不打烊 is contributing to a unique event taking place in New York in March. Jewish Tales from Wales will showcase three Welsh-Jewish films in New York and is organised by the Welsh Government and the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust with support from 黑料不打烊.
As an expert on Jewish films in general, Dr Nathan Abrams from the University鈥檚 School of Creative Studies and Media, will be leading post-screening discussions, including Q&As with the directors.
He said: 鈥淚 am honoured to be involved in this event which, uniquely, combines two of my interests: Jewish film and Welsh-Jewish history. I don鈥檛 think anything like this has happened before, either in Wales let alone New York!鈥�
Professor John Hughes, who will also be representing 黑料不打烊 at this prestigious event said: 鈥淎s a University we鈥檙e delighted to support this initiative to explore the Jewish culture of Wales and showcase it in America. This is a great opportunity to showcase the breadth of cultural expertise that we have at 黑料不打烊. That Dr Abrams can bring new insights on Jewish heritage to New York, a city renowned for its Jewish heritage is to be applauded. He is also leading the way in studying the Jewish heritage of Wales.鈥�
Dr Abrams鈥檚 most recent publication is The New Jew in Film: Exploring Jewishness and Judaism in Contemporary Cinema.
Dr Abrams explains: 鈥淛ewish film characters have existed almost as long as the medium of film itself, but they were often confined to caricatures or parodies. But around 1990, films about Jews multiplied. A new generation of Jewish filmmakers, writers and actors in Hollywood and the rest of the world began depicting Jews in ways which went beyond the usual stereotypes. They portrayed tough Jews, brutish Jews, gay and lesbian Jews, Jewish cowboys, skinheads and superheroes and even Jews in space. I have explored these new and changing depictions of Jews, Jewishness and Judaism. My concern is to reveal how the representation of the Jew is used to convey confidence or anxieties about Jewish identity and history.鈥�
Nathan Abrams is Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at 黑料不打烊. Dr. Nathan Abrams is the author, co-author, and editor of several books including: Norman Podhoretz and Commentary Magazine: The Rise and Fall of the Neo-Cons; and Caledonian Jews: A Study of Seven Small Communities in Scotland.
Publication date: 5 March 2012