This program originally aired on February 14th, 2024 at 12:30pm Eastern.
Julie Salamon sat down with Annette Insdorf, author, professor of film at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, and moderator of the popular “Reel Pieces” series at Manhattan’s 92Y where she has interviewed over 300 celebrities. Annette’s passion for film developed at a young age; as a child she remembers going to movies every weekend with her father. She credits her mother for her analytical eye, attention to detail, and work ethic. Both of Annette’s parents are Holocaust survivors and experienced immense loss, this piece of her family history is a substantial part of her Jewish identity and has motivated her to live life to the fullest.
Annette described her method of teaching film and the value of seeing stories on the big screen immersed in a crowd of people. She spoke about classic films so familiar that they live inside her, how the last few years have witnessed an increase in the diversity of storytelling (in Annette’s words “widened the lens”), and her belief that “great films tell us how to watch them.”
Topics covered in this program: Oscar Season, film history, film as a reflection of society, teaching, interviewing, Jewish identity, observance, concentration camp, survivor parents, Paris, Bronx, Central Synagogue, Columbia University protests, students, Richard Gere, Ben Kingsley, Martin Scorsese.
