An unorthodox, unauthorized, history of the Jewish people
and the Barbie doll…in about 18min.
What can the most successful doll on the planet show us about being Jewish today? Narrated by Peter Coyote, the film mixes old school narration with a new school visual style. The Tribe weaves together archival footage, graphics, animation, Barbie dioramas, and slam poetry to take audiences on an electric ride through the complex history of both the Barbie doll and the Jewish people- from Biblical times to present day. By tracing Barbie’s history, the film sheds light on the questions: What does it mean to be an American Jew today? What does it mean to be a member of any tribe in the 21st Century?
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“Tribe is a brilliant, irreverent, wry and buoyant film about an icon of American culture, the waspy Barbie doll and it’s creator a Jewish woman. The film is a stunning achievement and one of this year’s Black Maria Film Festival biggest and most worthy hits. I love this film and so do audiences.”
-John Columbus, Black Maria Film Festival
“The Tribe is a smart, funny 18-minute short directed by Webby Awards founder Tiffany Shlain.”
-New York Times
”Jews of all ages should seek out The Tribe, a short that makes the convincing, tongue-in-cheek case that Barbie is our ultimate assimilated American Jew.”
“Peter Coyote wryly narrates the cleverly written and edited piece that shares a similar smart tone with Shlain’s Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, a meditation on a woman’s right to choose.”
