The 17th annual Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival continues with a screening of "The Ancient Law" at Greenfield Garden Cinemas.

A recently restored German silent film about Jewish life in 19th-century Europe, The Ancient Law is a precursor to Warner Brothers’ The Jazz Singer. The film tells the story of a rabbi’s son who yearns to become an actor, against the wishes of his father. With its historically authentic set design and ensemble of prominent actors, the film is an important piece of German-Jewish cinematic history that contrasts the closed world of an Eastern European shtetl with the liberal mores of 1860s Vienna.

The film will be accompanied by a live original music composed and performed by renowned musicians Donald Sosin (Keyboards) and Alicia Svigals (Violin).

DRAMA | 1923 | 128 MINUTES
GERMANY | GERMAN AND SILENT WITH ENGLISH INTERTITLES
DIRECTED BY EWALD ANDRÉ DUPONT