‘Sabbath Queen’ Creators Preach to the Choir About a Rabbi Who Performs Drag: ‘Choirs These Days Need a Lot of Preaching’
variety.comAddie Morfoot Contributor In “Sabbath Queen,” director Sandi DuBowski chronicles the journey of Israel-born drag queen and rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, the heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis.
Filmed over 21 years, the documentary follows Lau-Lavie, who is a queer father or two, as he struggles to come to terms with the cultural and religious strictures of the Orthodox Judaism he was raised in and his identity as a gay, drag queen.
In the doc, Lau-Lavie publicly promotes notions of gay and interfaith marriage, among other progressive concepts considered heretical by many.
His critics include members of his own family, whose rabbinical lineage can be traced back to the 11th century. The film begins in 2017, when Lau-Levie officiated over a Jewish wedding in New York City between two men who are professed Buddhists.
Read more on variety.com
