The Last Marranos
Les derniers Marranes

France, 1991, 64 minutes, color
Portuguese with English subtitles
Directed by Frédéric Brenner and Stan Neumann

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Public Exhibition Formats: Beta, DVD

"Generation by generation, the Marranos' closed-door ceremonies became the oral tradition of women rather than men (in opposition to Hebrew custom), with ceremonial rituals handed down from mother to daughter. There is no persecution any more, but, as the film shows, there is still an aura of secrecy about the movement."
-Washington Post

Television Broadcasts
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KQED, San Francisco
SBS, Australia
ZDF, Germany

Selected Screenings
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St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society
Southampton Jewish Film Festival
Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art
Portland Art Museum
Brooklyn Museum of Art
Los Angeles Sephardic Film Festival
Laemmle Theaters (Los Angeles)
Jewish Film Festival (Amherst, NY)
Seattle Jewish Film Festival
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Baltimore Museum of Art
Toronto Jewish Film Festival
Jewish Women’s Film Festival (NY)
Los Angeles Film Festival
Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival

Synopsis
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In the late fifteenth century, the glory of Sephardic Jewry on the Iberian peninsula came to an end: In 1492, the Jews of Spain were expelled. In 1497, the Jews of Portugal were forcibly converted to Christianity. Now they were subject to the Inquisition's harsh punishment for heresy. Despite the danger, however, many of the converted Jews—called marranos "pigs" by Christians—continued to practice Judaism in secret.

Five centuries later, The Last Marranos takes a fascinating look at the village of Belmonte, Portugal. Its rites and prayers are an amalgam of Christianity and vestiges of Judaism tenaciously preserved through the ages. These traditions bear the scars of history distorted by clandestine practice and couched in symbols of fear. Now, brought into the open and reacquainting itself with mainstream Judaism, the community faces a new challenge.

Home Use DVD: $29.95

Does not include Classroom or Library Use Rights or Public Performance Rights. More Information

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Classroom/Library Use DVD: $195

Does not include Public Performance Rights. More Information

Digital Site Licensing (DSL) available - Contact us

Step down pricing for K-12 & public libraries may be available - Contact us

Arrange a screening - Contact us

Related Film
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Expulsion and Memory

 

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