The Man Without a World

The Man Without a World is credited to the legendary 1920s Soviet director Yevgeny Antinov. But that is not the case. In fact, Antinov is the creation of contemporary filmmaker and visual artist. Eleanor Antin, who made the film in 1991 as a love letter to her mother, a former actress in the Yiddish theatre of Poland. In a Polish shtetl at the turn of the 20th century, the villagers struggle with both the antisemitism of the wider world and political infighting within their own community. Against this backdrop, two star-crossed lovers — merchant’s daughter Rukheleh and impoverished Yiddish poet Zevi — seek happiness. But many obstacles come between them. The film was restored in 2022 and a new soundtrack was created. (kw)