A Cantor's Tale
| A Cantor's Tale (Chazz'n) | |
|---|---|
 A Cantor's Tale Promotional Image | |
| Directed by | Erik Greenberg Anjou |
| Produced by | Erik Greenberg Anjou |
| Starring |
Jacob Mendelson Jackie Mason Alan Dershowitz |
| Music by | Frank London |
| Cinematography | Sam Henriques |
| Edited by | Karlyn Michelson |
| Distributed by | Ergo Media Inc. |
Release dates |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
A Cantor's Tale is a 2005 documentary by Erik Greenberg Anjou. The film profiles Jacob Mendelson, a practitioner of Jewish liturgical music who has dedicated his life to preserving the form's traditional vocal stylings.[1]
Anjou follows Mendelson around Borough Park, his old neighborhood in Brooklyn. Mendelson, who carries a tuning fork with him at all times, is prone to burst into song. During their journey through Borough Park, Anjou finds that the neighborhood has a fair number of bakers with vocal talents as good as their knishes.[1]
Mendelson also recalls when cantors were as popular as baseball players. "They had groupies," he tells Anjou, a strong incentive for a chubby teenager in high school.[1]
Mendelson's mother, who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was almost obsessed that her son become a cantor. The film reveals an interesting link to celebrity on the part of Mendelson's father: the older Mendelson once co-owned a truck with the father of Steven Spielberg.[1]
The movie's original title was Chazz'n, after the profiled cantor's sobriquet "Chazzan Jack Mendelson." It has also been titled A Cantor's Story.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Catsoulis, Jeannette (2006-09-06). "A Cantor's Tale - Movies - Review". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2015-12-13. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
- ↑ "A Cantor's Tale - Alternate Titles". IMDB. Retrieved 12 Dec 2015.