As Emilia Perez dominates screens and emerges as a strong Oscar contender, Netflix is now debuting another Latin American film centered on a striking transgender protagonist: Transmitzvah. This time, it’s the story of a “kosher diva.” Mumy Singer, a famous Jewish transgender singer, returns to Buenos Aires after years of estrangement from her family to celebrate the bat mitzvah she never had.
Once, in Argentina, Mumy was a child named Rubén, who refused to have a bar mitzvah, longing instead for a bat mitzvah. 5 View gallery Daniel Burman ( Photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images ) The film, directed by Jewish-Argentinian filmmaker Daniel Burman, premiered at the recent Cannes Film Festival, where it was acquired by the streaming giant. Cannes organizers chose to hold the film’s out-of-competition debut on the beach, under the open sky.
It was a quirky, joyous and surreal experience to watch a film blending drag, transgender identity, Hebrew phrases, Yiddish songs, Jewish humor and cultural nuances on a giant screen in such a setting. “In a way, it’s very brave of the [festival organizers] to screen a Jewish film like this, in the open air,” said Burman in an interview with Ynet, conducted poolside at a luxury hotel in the French resort town. “In that sense, I like the idea of showing it on the beach—it’s a nice gesture.
“I’m very proud, as a Jew, to present now, in Europe, in the center of antisemitism in the world, a Jewish movie with Yiddish songs. I lov.
