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Giselle

A film by Lauren Goetzman

On Yom Kippur’s eve, Reut (45) avoids grief by hosting a holiday dinner days after her brother’s death. But a cursed encounter with her estranged aunt at a Kosher market – and a vision of rotten meat – begin to crack her composure. As three generations gather, a haunting call and a moment of stillness lead Reut to open the door, at last, to mourning, tradition, and the healing her family needs.

Raised in Los Angeles with roots in North Africa and Israel, Lauren Goetzman is a filmmaker whose producing work has screened at Oscar-Qualifying festivals across the country, including "Bruiser," which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, "She Always Wins" at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022, and "Sombras Nada Mas" at the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2023. Her directorial debut short "Giselle" was chosen for Panavision's 2023 New Filmmaker Program and is currently in its festival run having screened at Miami Jewish Film Festival, HollyShorts, Proof Film Festival and was awarded Best Women Short at Indie Shorts Fest in 2025. Goetzman's work features themes that address identity, memory and belonging. By making films, she hopes to further explore the subconscious shadows that we repress, specifically in strong female leads. Goetzman holds a BA in Economics & English from Wesleyan University and an MFA in Film from Columbia University.

16min • USA • 2024

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