The Film
“When a family gathers for a strained Shabbat dinner, we soon learn that no one is on their best behaviour, and almost everyone has something to hide.”
Director’s Statement
Jessie Horowitz
Breaking Bread is a story about family – and as a result, it is a story about honesty.
I often struggled to define who I was in spaces meant to represent identity, unsure how to put into words what I truly felt. There is something deeply painful about not connecting with your family – perhaps because they don’t know how to connect with you, or perhaps they never quite learned how to connect with one another. Out grows a sense of isolation, a fear that you will never quite belong. For if you can’t be honest amongst family, how do you learn to be honest with yourself? And if you can’t do that, how do you begin to understand who you are?
Growing up bisexual in a secular Jewish family, I felt like I didn’t quite fit the mold. Was I Jewish enough? Was I gay enough? What did being Jewish even mean? I used to wonder how I could feel so different from everyone around the table, until I realized – that I wasn’t. We were all holding on to secrets of our own, too scared to disappoint, afraid that once our truths were spoken, it would expose us in ways we couldn’t take back. But what does it mean if everyone feels this way? Across families, across cultures and belief systems – this performance, this instinct to protect, to belong, even at the cost of honesty.
In terms of next steps, I’ll be getting my headshot taken tomorrow and will send that over as soon as I have the final. It may take about 24 hours to process, as it will be shot on film.
About
Kendra invites her best friend, Alice, to her home for Shabbat – moral support for the unforgettable experience we call family dinner. As the evening unfolds, an unexpected discovery begins to unravel the family’s carefully maintained façade, exposing financial strain and deep cracks in their relationships.
Caught in the middle, Kendra tries to stay out of it, slipping into old patterns to keep the peace. At the same time, she’s holding onto a secret of her own: she’s in love with her best friend, and she’s afraid of becoming like her family.
While breaking bread, Kendra is forced to confront the cost of honesty – and whether breaking the patterns that conceal her family’s truths is the only way to find her own.
Kendra invites her best friend, Alice, to her home for Shabbat – moral support for the unforgettable experience we call family dinner. As the evening unfolds, an unexpected discovery begins to unravel the family’s carefully maintained façade, exposing financial strain and deep cracks in their relationships.
Caught in the middle, Kendra tries to stay out of it, slipping into old patterns to keep the peace. At the same time, she’s holding onto a secret of her own: she’s in love with her best friend, and she’s afraid of becoming like her family.
While breaking bread, Kendra is forced to confront the cost of honesty – and whether breaking the patterns that conceal her family’s truths is the only way to find her own.
Kendra’s family exists in a constant state of defense, each person feeling scrutinized and judged by the others and, more deeply, by themselves. When her aunt finds something she wasn’t meant to see, the facades at play start to unravel, exposing the cracks in how Kendra’s mother has been managing the family’s finances.
Caught in the middle, Kendra navigates the family’s unspoken politics, retreating into passivity to survive the madness, and hiding a secret of her own; she’s in love with her best friend, and she’s afraid of becoming like them.
As things get out of control, Kendra is forced to confront what honesty might cost and whether breaking from her family means losing them, or finally finding herself.
10 Minutes·Color·English
The People
Cast
As Kendra
As Aunt Marge
As Gai
As Alice
As Uncle Drew
Key Crew
Director / Writer
Producer
Cinematographer
Editor
Original Score
Production Designer
Sound Designer
Colorist
First Assistant Director
Credits
Written & Directed by
Produced by
Production Coordinator
Production Coordinator
Director of Photography
1st AC
Edited By
Original Music By
Production Designer
Sound Design
Color by
First Assistant Director
Gaffer
Key Grip
Production Sound Mixer
Hair & Makeup
Get in Touch
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General Inquiries
General Inquiries