Speed Cinema Screenings: Louisville Jewish Film Festival: Sabbath Queen 2/23/25 4PM

“Awe inspiring. Enthralling. One of the best films I’ve seen this year. Sabbath Queen is a rich and intimate portrait.”—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter

Filmed over 21 years, Sabbath Queen follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie’s epic journey as the dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis including the Chief Rabbis of Israel. He is torn between rejecting and embracing his destiny and becomes a drag-queen rebel, a queer bio-dad, and the founder of Lab/Shul—an everybody-friendly, God-optional, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation.  

Sabbath Queen joins Amichai on a lifelong quest to creatively and radically reinvent religion and ritual, challenge patriarchy and supremacy, champion interfaith love, and stand up for peace. The film interrogates what Jewish survival means in a difficult rapidly changing 21st century. 2024, U.S., DCP, 105 minutes. Recommended for 16+. 

Cinema + With a post-screening discussion with director Sandi DuBowski via Zoom.

This program has been made possible through generous support from Congregation Adath Jeshurun through Cantor Lipp’s Discretionary Fund.