The Final Hour

The ABQ Virtual Jewish Film Festival Presents: 

The Final Hour

Directed by Caglar Malli

Documentary UK/Turkey 2019 77 min

In Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Ladino, Hebrew with English subtitles

Screening: 8/13 – 16

Zoom Conversation: Sun 8/16 – Noon MT

Please note that ticket sales will end on August 16, 10 am

The documentary follows Deniz Bensusan, a young Sephardic woman who has come to the realization that her ancestral language Judeo-Espanol, popularly known as Ladino, is on the verge of extinction. With the loss of this language, the community also stands to lose their identity. Alarmed by this, she embarks on a journey of discovery in an attempt to unearth her culture, language, and roots. As she uncovers living family members in distant lands and traces 63 family members to their ends at Auschwitz during the Holocaust, her interest in Sephardic history grows stronger. Her journey is at times emotional and at times full of humor as she meets small surviving communities of Sephardic Jews and discovers her past. To keep the culture and language alive, must the Jewish community be isolated and shun intermarriage? While she grows to appreciate the importance placed on heritage and culture, she grapples with the question: is she willing to make these kinds of sacrifices to perpetuate her family?

The Final Hour depicts the centuries-long journey of Sephardic culture and the Ladino language, asking all the while: Will it survive another generation? Is the language Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) already dead or just dying? When a language dies, does the culture which used it perish as well? Why didn’t her Turkish grandparents teach or speak with her and her parents in Ladino? These are the questions that propel a young Jewish woman on a voyage of discovery in an attempt to unearth her culture, language, and roots. Her journey takes her on an emotional roller coaster as she meets the small surviving communities of Sephardic Jews in Salonika and Kastoria in Greece and discovers her ancient past in Portugal and Spain. Along the way, she finds long-lost cousins, views the actual Spanish Edict of Expulsion, and encounters many other surprises. View the trailer here!

How does a virtual film festival work?

• The film will have a 72 hour viewing period from August 13, 7pm - August 16, 7pm. You must watch the film during the viewing period. 
• You will receive a link and password to view the film 24 hours before the screening period starts. Be sure to check your Spam folder. 
• Upon purchasing a ticket, you will view a confirmation page with links to register the Zoom discussion with the director. The discussion is free, but you must register with the link to take part in the post-film discussion. 
• Internet speed is essential to home-viewing. If you haven't streamed movies at home before, we recommend running a speed test for your internet at https://www.speedtest.net to make sure you can easily stream the film. The minimum download speed is 10Mbps, but we recommend 25-35Mbps for optimal viewing. Additional information about streaming is available at our website, https://www.abqjewishfilmfest.com. 

 What is the differences between "Individual" and "Household" tickets? 

• Individual Viewing: intended for individual use
• Household Viewing: intended for 2+ people to share & watch together within one physical household

Questions? Email mayas@jccabq.org