Thy Father’s Chair (2015)

  • THY FATHER’S CHAIR, Vérité Documentary on Orthodox Jewish Twins Gets Fall Release Date | Trailer

    THY FATHER’S CHAIR Antonio Tibaldi and Alex Lora’s Thy Father’s Chair, a vérité documentary focused on Orthodox Jewish twins, who are extreme hoarders, is set for release in theaters in the Fall.  The film opens Friday, October 13, 2017, at the Village East Cinema in New York City – a week before its Los Angeles theatrical premiere on Friday, October 20, at Laemmle’s Music Hall. Thy Father's Chair movie poster Thy Father’s Chair brings audiences into the world of Abraham and Shraga, Orthodox Jewish twins who live a secluded existence in their inherited Brooklyn home. Since the death of their parents, they have stopped throwing away anything, hosting stray cats and accumulating all sorts of stuff. Enraged by the situation, the upstairs tenant threatens to stop paying them rent unless they proceed with a radical cleaning of their apartment, forcing Abraham and Shraga to open their doors to a specialized cleaning company. What ensues seems, at first, a traumatic invasion of privacy, with the twins fighting to preserve their memories. But little by little, the relationship with the head of the cleaning company begins to deepen — and by painfully separating from most of their belongings, Abraham and Shraga discover a path to a new life. By the end of the film, the twins are pushed to find new solutions to many unanswered questions: how free are you within the boundaries of your heritage? How do you begin to let go of the past and live your life in the present? How do you confront the loss of your parents and become responsible for yourself? Thy Father’s Chair is the fourth collaboration between Antonio Tibaldi and Alex Lora. The previous films they made together, [S]comparse, Odysseus Gambit and Godka Cirka, played at Sundance and several top international film festival and won several awards. They are currently developing other nonfiction and fiction projects together.

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  • 15 Documentary Films to Compete at 28th IDFA; Fest to Open with A FAMILY AFFAIR

    A Family Affair, Tom Fassaert 15 films will compete in the feature-length documentary competition of the upcoming 28th International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), which takes place in Amsterdam from November 18 to 29, 2015. The 28th IDFA opens on 18 November with A Family Affair by Dutch director Tom Fassaert. In A Family Affair, Fassaert explores the delicate history of his own family, which is marked by conflict. This personal journey takes him through four generations, and becomes complicated when his grandmother makes an unexpected confession. A Family Affair competes in both IDFA’s feature-length documentary and Dutch documentary competitions. Bolshoi Babylon by Nick Read (Russia / UK) A revealing look behind the scenes of the world-famous Russian Bolshoi Theatre, where a constant struggle between ambition, love of art and nepotism is played out. Carolina’s World by Mariana Viñoles (Uruguay) An affectionate portrait of 20-year-old Caro, who has Down’s syndrome. Sitting at her mother’s kitchen table, she talks openly about her life. Clear Years by Frédéric Guillaume (Belgium) An intimate, candid account of a man watching through his camera lens as his family falls apart. Don Juan by Jerzy Sladkowski (Sweden / Finland) A funny, painful portrait of 22-year-old Oleg, whose mother Marina is trying to free him from his lethargic state. A Family Affair by Tom Fassaert (the Netherlands) Hoping to gain insight into his family history, Tom Fassaert heads to South Africa to visit his grandmother Marianne. But Marianne has something else in mind. Natural Disorder by Christian Sønderby Jepsen (Denmark) Jacob, who has cerebral palsy, will never lead a normal life. But who defines what is normal? In a play, he defends his right to exist as an abnormal person. Next Stop: Utopia by Apostolos Karakasis (Greece / Germany / France) Greek workers take over their abandoned workplace. Their movement becomes a beacon of solidarity – but how long can they keep going? Patient by Jorge Caballero (Colombia) While Nubia fights and fears for the life of her terminally ill daughter, we are given a bewildering insight into the absurd bureaucracy of the health system in Colombia. The Road by Zanbo Zhang (China) The construction of a gigantic motorway in China brings three parties into opposition with one another: the local population, the construction company and the labourers. Snow Monkey by George Gittoes (Australia) A collage of joy and brutality in Afghanistan. Local gang members take acting roles in a Pashtun film directed by an open-minded Australian. Sonita by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami (Iran / Germany) Illegally living in Tehran, 18-year old Afghani refugee Sonita dreams of being a rapper in this exciting document of her search for her own life path through life. A Strange Love Affair with Ego by Ester Gould (the Netherlands) Her admiration for the self-assurance of her sister Rowan prompts the filmmaker to explore our narcissistic society – with shocking results. Thru You Princess by Ido Haar (Israel) A virtual musical encounter between a cappella singer Princess Shaw from New Orleans and Israeli composer-producer Kutiman leads to an internet hit. Thy Father’s Chair by Antonio Tibaldi and Alex Lora (Italy / USA) Ageing Orthodox Jewish twins Abraham and Shraga have to look on as a clean-up team gets to grips with their polluted home in Brooklyn. Ukrainian Sheriffs by Roman Bondarchuk (Ukraine / Latvia / Germany) Tragi-comic portrait of a pair of sheriffs in a remote Ukrainian village where – alongside various simmering situations – political developments are also a threat to order.

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