Hester Street celebrates 50th anniversary with special screening

Classic tale of Jewish immigrants in New York is showing at the BFI next week

Joan Micklin Silver’s groundbreaking debut feature film, Hester Street, will screen at the BFI on Monday night to mark its 50th anniversary. The movie will be introduced by Dr Julia Wagner, a writer and lecturer who has just written the definitive tome Hester Street as part of the BFI Film Classics series.

Silver’s 1975 film was adapted from an 1896 novella, Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto, and explores the Jewish immigrant experience in turn-of-the-century New York from a female perspective. The writer-director struggled initially to find funding but Hester Street ultimately proved a hit with Jewish audiences and Carol Kane, in the lead, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

The film has been praised for its portrayal of Eastern European life in America as well as the sensitive handling of Jewish femininity, a topic that has more often than not been depicted in a very different light by male filmmakers. Silver’s reputation has only become greater since her death in 2020 and this is a rare opportunity to catch her first feature on the big screen with an introduction that will undoubtedly contextualise the work and aid enjoyment of an underseen gem.

For tickets for the screening visit bfi.org.uk