LGBTQ+ Jews in Film and TV by Stav Meishar

From "Angels in America" to "Transparent", from "Bent" to "Yentl", we will explore the intersection of Jewish identities and queer identities in film and television. Are these identities separate or influence each other? Do they stand in juxtaposition or do they complement each other? What does it mean for these characters to be Jewish AND Queer, and how does it shape their trajectories? ​We will watch excerpts from these works (may contain spoilers) and analyse these questions together using biblical, contemporary and academic texts.

Bio: 

Bio: ​Stav Meishar (she/they) is an award-winning performance maker, interdisciplinary stage artist, researcher and educator. Their work seeks to intersect history and current affairs by amalgamating tools from the worlds of theatre, circus, and contemporary performance, exploring the power of art as a narrative and introspective tool for advocating change. Stav's most recent project, The Escape Act: A Holocaust Memoir, is a one-person show mixing puppetry, theatre and circus, steeped in seven years of historic research. It is based on the true story of a Jewish acrobat who survived the Holocaust hiding at a German circus, and examines questions of antisemitism and multigenerational-trauma. As a dedicated historic researcher, writer and lecturer, Stav's research spans her many interests at the intersection of Jewish history, circus history and/or queer history. Her academic and historic research has been shared in academic conferences and public events throughout the world. ​Stav was born and raised in Israel, and is now based in Bristol UK. Before finding her calling as an independent performance maker Stav lived in NYC and performed in other people's shows, on professional theater and circus stages all over America. Her favourite credit was in the Off-Broadway show The Megile of Itzik Manger, where she became the first circus artist to perform on the aerial silks in a Yiddish production. ​Stav is proud to be a queer and neurodivergent immigrant of Middle-Eastern and Jewish origins. Their work will always and forever be shaped by those lenses.