AMHERST, Mass. –The Yiddish Book Center will present a screening of “The Man Without a World” with live original music composed and performed by klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals and silent film pianist Donald Sosin on Sunday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at the Center, 1021 West St., Amherst.
Originally credited to the fictional Soviet director Yevgeny Antinov, “The Man Without a World” is in fact the creation of artist and filmmaker Eleanor Antin. The film offers a quirky, darkly comic portrait of life in a Polish shtetl, where residents struggle with poverty while navigating their own political, cultural, and religious divisions.
For this screening, the film will be accompanied live by violinist Svigals—a founder of the Grammy-winning band The Klezmatics—and silent-film pianist and composer Donald Sosin. The duo composed and recorded a new score for the film and will perform it live.
Since 2018, Svigals and Sosin have performed their original scores for Jewish-themed silent films at venues across the United States and Europe.
The 98-minute film features English intertitles and an ensemble cast including Pier Marton, Christine Berry, Anna Henriques, Marcia Goodman, and Don Sommese. A recent restoration of the film was supported by the Sunrise Foundation for Education and the Arts.
Tickets are $8–$10. The Yiddish Book Center’s website can provide details.
