An Interview with Jeremy Borison| 2024 JFI Filmmaker in Residence
The Jewish Film Institute is proud to feature 2024 Filmmaker in Residence Jeremy Borison and his project Alliance as our latest JFI Resident Spotlight. Read on for an exclusive JFI interview with Borison about the story behind the project!
About the Film: When Yeshiva University’s Pride Alliance sued the institution for denying them an LGBTQ club on campus, the university rushed the case to the Supreme Court claiming an attack on their religious freedom. Now the subject of national attention, YUPA’s fight for equality has become the symbol for LGBTQ issues in the Orthodox community and across the country.
Jewish Film Institute: What inspired you to make this film?
Jeremy Borison: When the Pride Alliance students first approached me in 2022, I actually told them I didn’t want to make the film. At the time, both the students and Yeshiva University were receiving fairly bad press and I didn’t want to bring any more attention to the lawsuit. However once the Supreme Court got involved, I realized this story was going to spread regardless of my actions. And I wanted to make sure it was being told with care and nuance, and without vilifying either the students or the Orthodox community. That’s when I felt maybe I should be the one to tell this story.
JFI: Where are you now in the filmmaking process?
JB: The film is in late development, and I’m currently fundraising to begin principal production. I spent this past year speaking with members of the Pride Alliance, individuals on the lawsuit, and various students and faculty on campus at YU, in order to develop the story and figure out the comfort levels of our main protagonists. Because this is such a sensitive topic, my main priority has been everyone’s safety and needs around anonymity. This coming year I plan to follow developments in the case and in the personal lives of those involved.
JFI: How is the JFI Filmmaker Residency helping you develop your project?
JB: I’m so grateful for all the incredible help I’ve received through The JFI Filmmaker Residency. We have such a strong cohort of peers and mentors, all of whom are giving me constant feedback about story, materials, and edits. That kind of advice is especially valuable during this stage of development when the story is being shaped. We’ve also been able to workshop and practice our pitches for the projects, which has been another extremely helpful part of the Residency.
JFI: How does this story add to our collective understanding of Jewish life, culture, history or identity?
JB: I think the Orthodox Jewish community in general doesn’t receive a lot of nuanced attention in the media, and this is especially true when it comes to the Modern Orthodox community in particular. It has such a beautiful respect for tradition while still trying to remain a part of modern society. That duality creates such rich conflict and compromise, and the topic of LGBTQ inclusion represents that exact point of tension between tradition and modernity. I think this film will be able to highlight the beauty of that tension and the Jewish community’s ability to wrestle with these issues and ultimately grow.
JFI: If you could screen your film as a double feature with any film, what movie would you choose and why?
JB: The film I would screen as a double feature with Alliance would undoubtedly have to be Sandi DuBowski’s Trembling Before G-d. That film not only influenced me as a gay, Orthodox teenager, but influenced me as a filmmaker who wants to create communal change through storytelling. In many ways, I see Alliance as a sequel to Trembling. 20 years ago, Sandi was able to encourage religious communities to address the existence of LGBTQ members; with Alliance I’m hoping to encourage religious communities to address the inclusion of LGBTQ members.
About the Filmmaker: Jeremy Borison is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, whose work explores the intersection of religion and sexuality. His films have received grants from organizations including Micah Philanthropies, Aviv Foundation, and Jewish Story Partners for their efforts in creating discourse around LGBTQ inclusion in religious communities. Jeremy has been selected for various initiatives that explore art and religion, as an Asylum Arts Fellow, a writer for Imagination Productions, a Wexner Heritage fellow, and a JFI Filmmaker in Residence. His debut feature film, ‘Unspoken,’ which follows a closeted teenager in a religious community, premiered at the British Film Institute’s Flare Film Festival, and recently received the audience award for Best Narrative Film at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival.
About the JFI Filmmakers in Residence Program: The JFI Filmmakers in Residence Program is a year-long artist residency that provides creative, marketing, and production support for emerging and established filmmakers whose documentary projects explore and expand thoughtful consideration of Jewish history, life, culture, and identity.
