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Co-presented by Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Directed by Lex Gillespie
Documentary Feature | USA | 2024 | 84 min | English
Sponsored by Barbara and Mickey Black; Steve and Betsy Filton
PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE
THE CATSKILLS is a feature-length documentary on the rise and fall of the Borscht Belt. With a trove of lost-and-found archival footage and a cast of characters endowed with the gift of gab, Lex Gillespie’s charming film journeys into the storied mountain getaway north of New York City that served as refuge for Jewish immigrants fleeing poverty, as well as a lavish playground for affluent Jewish families. Stand-up comedians share their best shtick while former waiters, entertainers, and dance instructors recount tales of the family-run resorts and bungalows that inspired films like Dirty Dancing (1987).