Acclaimed Filmmaker Francine Zuckerman to Appear at Carleton

Acclaimed filmmaker Francine Zuckerman will appear on Thursday, May 22 at 5 p.m. to screen and discuss her documentary film, “Half the Kingdom.” The screening, which will take place in Leighton Hall, room 304, is free and open to the public.

“Half the Kingdom” (1989) focuses on seven Jewish women from Canada, the United States, and Israel as they work to integrate traditional religious values with the principles of modern feminism. The provocative documentary focuses on the movement of women from observers to active participants—including the unprecedented occasion when, in 1988, a group of women came together to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The film not only addresses issues of feminism, but of religious pluralism and civil rights, and the struggle for self-definition in a sometimes hostile environment.

Made almost twenty years ago, Zuckerman’s idea for “Half the Kingdom” came from a verse in The Scroll of Esther, one of the few books in the Hebrew Scriptures named for a woman: “What is thy request? Even if it be half the kingdom you may have it” (5:3). Using inspiration from this verse, the film examines questions of female power in religious and social structures and the ways religion can and should change to allow more female participation. The documentary won several awards, including two Gemini Award nominations, and has received wide critical acclaim. Zuckerman, director and co-producer of the film adaptation of Deb Filler’s “Punch Me in the Stomach,” is currently developing a sequel to “Half the Kingdom.”

This event is sponsored by the Office of the Chaplain. For more information, including disability accommodations, contact Anna Igra at (507) 222-5240.