“There is no theme more Jewish (but also universally human) than the intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge,” says Mishory. “In the film, we experience it happening in real time, as a kid starts on a journey toward manhood, and a father-son relationship evolves and deepens. That’s a special thing to capture from behind the camera.”
Fioretta embodies a kind of mysticism in which characters in the present uncover the past, building connections through the centuries. Jewish history is long, perilous, and traumatic, and the persecution of Jews is nothing new. But what viewers come to realize is that the historical oppression of Jews–in both small (business licenses, marriage certificates, permits, and other civic minutae) and monumental (The Holocaust, the most recent terrorist attacks) ways forms a critical crucible of data in which that history is writ larger, and therefore easier to see.
Randy Schoenberg in temple
“Jewish history is long, perilous, and traumatic, and the persecution of Jews is nothing new.”
“While the film’s long arc of Jewish history is a stark reminder of the many pogroms and persecutions the Jewish People have faced, it is equally a reminder of our many essential contributions to Western culture and society—in every age,” says Mishory. “And while history provides context to the most recent pogrom and the darkness we are all experiencing, there is now a profound difference. Today, we finally have a state and an army of our own, and we are not content to play the role of suffering, stateless victims. We will vanquish our enemies—and prevail.”
Fioretta’s cinematic journey, the film, ultimately comes to a close, if only temporarily. The discovery of the 16th-century Fioretta’s physical gravestone draws the spectacle to its climactic conclusion. She is the most distant ancestor Joey and Randy have “found.” The grave is a milestone and a catalyst, bringing a father and son together and even inspiring a painting. Yet Schoenberg is hopeful that one day, they may be able to extend the search back even further. Families possess a lineage of gifts if only they look for them. That lies at the very heart of Fioretta, and it’s a ray of light in these dark times.
Fioretta will screen on Thursday, October 19, at the 2023 Newport Beach Film Festival and on Sunday, October 29, at the Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival (DOC LA). Matthew and Randy will be present for both.
[…] yet left a trail of clues and facts that yield diligent and careful research.” – Film […]