Now regarded as one of the ten best films of 2024, A Real Pain has just concluded its theatrical run. Directed by Jesse Eisenberg and featuring Kieren Culkin, the film traces two temperamentally different cousins on a “heritage” trip to Poland, funded by their recently deceased grandmother. Her plan seems to be an experience that will bind the cousins to one another and honor the horror of the Sho’ah. Anyone who has made such a pilgrimage will recognize the featured sites, along with the complexity of the experience. A Real Pain has excited both controversy and admiration for its focus on third-generation responses to the Holocaust.

Our conversation about A Real Pain will take place on Thursday, January 9 at 7:00 p.m. We’ll think aloud about where this work fits in the canon of Jewish film-making and whether it will stand the test of time. The film is just now being platformed on streaming sites, and we believe that it will be available on Amazon Prime (and other websites) for a modest fee. Please let us know if you have any difficulty locating the program.

Blatt + Blue is the longest-running project at the Synagogue dating from the height of the pandemic. Now in its fifth year, the series expresses the Synagogue’s commitments to an inclusive and pluralistic vision. Difficult films deserve thoughtful conversation. Film and television enthusiasts David Blatt and Alice Blue begin each session with a summary of the featured material, which means that you’ll be able to follow the conversation even if you have to delay your viewing of the material itself. After that, it’s questions and comments from the Zoom Room audience.

Join the moderated discussion in the Synagogue Zoom Room. The Zoom meeting ID is 918 583 7121, and the session will conclude at 8:00 p.m. If there is a film or broadcast you would like to screen, please call Richie Bolusky, Synagogue Program Director, at (918) 583-7121 with your suggestions.