| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Yossi Yadin | ... |
Zaida
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Len Birman | ... |
Harry Herman
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| Marilyn Lightstone | ... |
Annie Herman
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Jeff Lynas | ... |
David Herman
(as Jeffrey Lynas)
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Ted Allan | ... |
Mr. Baumgarten
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Henry Gamer | ... |
Uncle Benny
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Barbara Chilcott | ... |
Mrs. Tannenbaum
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Carol Lazare | ... |
Edna
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Mignon Elkins | ... |
Mr. Bondy
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Cleo Paskal | ... |
Cleo
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Rolland Bédard |
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Raymond Benoît |
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Bertrand Gagnon |
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Guy L'Ecuyer |
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E.M. Margolese |
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It's the 1920's. The Hermans - Harry Herman, his wife Annie Herman née Elias, their adolescent son David Herman, and Annie's father - are a Jewish family living in a small flat in the working class Jewish neighborhood of Montréal. David loves his "Zaida" (grandfather) with who he spends most Sundays driving around in their horse drawn wagon collecting junk - namely "rags, clothes, bottles" - to earn money. David also loves hearing his Zaida's stories about their Jewish culture, although most of those stories are made up and not based based on religious Jewish beliefs. Those stories are only one bone of contention between religious Zaida and secular Harry, as modern thinking Harry feels the stories are old fashioned hogwash and provide David with no grounding in what is real in life. Another issue of contention is money, as Harry is always dreaming of get rich schemes - the latest being to manufacture permanently creased and thus iron-less trousers - for which Zaida will not provide ... Written by Huggo
Some comments have pointed out that this is a movie that takes the child's POV. Well, that's true, but many films have done that and the tale they've told is sad (Ponette) or even harrowing (À ma soeur!). What this film captures is the divine reality that children and some adults are in contact with. It also relates the many other parts of a boy's role in a struggling Jewish Canadian family of the 20's, and does that quite well.
However, the mystery at the heart of life, the divine connection, that's what this film depicts best.
Alas, it's never been released in ANY consumer format! Who do we talk to about this injustice!