The Catskills

US/2023/In English/86 min/Documentary

The rise and fall of the Borscht Belt is captured in all its glory in this delightful documentary by Lex Gillespie, whose previous high-spirited bit of Jewish nostalgia, “The Mamboniks,” closed the 2019 festival. With a trove of lost-and-found archival footage and a cast of characters endowed with the gift of gab, “The Catskills” journeys into the storied mountain getaway north of New York City that served as refuge for Jewish immigrants fleeing poverty as well as a lavish playground for affluent Jewish families. Stand-up comedians share their best shtick while former waiters, entertainers, and dance instructors recount tales of the family-run resorts and bungalows that inspired films like “Dirty Dancing.”

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