According to Gur Bentwich, Bentwich Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon which causes the sufferers to glorify their family and exaggerate its importance. This zany adventure follows Gur, his wife and co-director Maya Kenig and their young children as they traverse continents to determine whether there is indeed something truly impressive about their family, which is made up of dozens of early Zionists, groundbreaking artists and other nearly forgotten family members “scanning the horizon seeking something more abstract” as one cousin so aptly puts it. In this lighthearted road trip the audience is invited to cram into the back seat and enjoy the ride. Bentwiches of present as well as those long departed come to life through Monty Python-esque animation. Examining Anglo-Jewish life of the 19th and 20th centuries, the birth of Zionism and the power of the patriarchy, directors Bentwich and Kenig join the long line of those suffering from Bentwich Syndrome, a malady which it seems is ultimately something to be proud of.
—Alexis Whitman
Preceded by Spring Chicken, Dir. Tamir Elterman.