Jason Sondhi
It is a pretty big disclosure about today’s featured filmmaker, so I’ll place it at the front. Ivan Kander is a name that might be familiar to you from this very website—for almost 10 years he served as a key writer/curator for Short of the Week, covering hundreds of films for us and screening thousands more.
Ivan stepped away from Short of the Week this past September to pursue new passions. Does that mean he is destined to follow in the footsteps of Godard and Truffaut as influential critics-turned-filmmakers? I would be overjoyed by such a development, but to suggest that he is only now focusing his time on filmmaking is to ignore that, for the past 12 years, he has developed a surprisingly prodigious creative output of over a short a year, with a diverse body of work that includes documentaries, a horror, single-takes, and even a pair of fan films.
Whether working on a modest scale with intimate two-handers or taking a crack at big established IP as he did with his viral short, Spiderman Lives, Ivan’s cinematic predilections invariably shine through. It is one of the charming things about him and was reflected in his programming too, where we, as a team, would often poke fun at his affection for low-budget, talk-heavy, indie shorts. He is a fan of sincerity and emotional honesty, but verisimilitude to life is not necessary, as complex dialogue and stylized delivery are a-ok as long they are bent to the service of relatable themes and characters working through human-scale dilemmas.
Minyan Duty, his latest film, is no exception to this long-standing approach, but is, to my eyes, his best film yet. It features his most entertaining dialogue and is buoyed by two very strong performances from Sarah Baskin and Michelle Uranowitz as a pair of bickering sisters. Also, unlike the films in his “Parenthood” series which only had the thinnest of prompts to initiate the emotionally revealing conversations at the core of their stories, Minyan Duty has a genuine logline premise that turns out to be a perfect scenario for low-scale humor and advancing the character plot.
I wanted to make a film that explored “big” concepts like grief, religion, tradition, familial dynamics, and community in a way that felt specific and personal.
Ivan discovered the premise via his own life, relating to us that, “When my son started a Jewish preschool a few years ago, my wife and I subsequently joined the affiliated synagogue. I was somewhat surprised to find out that, in being members, we were assigned “Minyan Duty” for a few weeks a year – certain days where we were expected to be present at schul simply to facilitate the proper numbers for a traditional maariv Jewish prayer service. My first reaction was to balk at this responsibility: the thought of going to synagogue during the week seemed like a chore. But, after attending, I found myself unexpectedly moved by the experience. It’s a very simple and easy act of kindness to be “present” for other people, and I found the sense of community it fostered to be heartening, especially if it aided people during times of mourning or remembrance.”
A pandemic-era short, naturally the concept of community and mourning take on an extra resonance, as this unacknowledged aspect suffuses one’s viewing. While there is little doubt where that plot will go—catharsis and reconciliation feel pre-ordained from early in the film— there is pleasure in getting there, via the chemistry of the leads and the low-key worldbuilding enabled by the film’s setting. Shot at Ivan’s own synagogue in the Washington D.C. area, it is the most overtly “Jewish” film he has done, and it benefits from that specificity. As someone outside the faith, I found the traditions foreign and fascinating.
Festivals agreed, as the film received a nice run in 2022, headlined by inclusion at Palm Springs Shortfest, Rhode Island, and an award for “Best Narrative Short” at DC Shorts before coming online. Now you have a chance to enjoy it, and, if you’ve been on the receiving end of Ivan’s terrific feedback in the past, you’re duty-bound to return the favor. Let him know what you think of the film in the comments. As for what’s next, Ivan has a feature script at the ready featuring the characters from Minyan Duty, which he’s titled “Nice Jewish Girls”, and is currently working to adapt author Mike Meginnis’s short story, “Navigators”, into a new short film.