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By Maria Esteves – January 19, 2015
The 24th New York Jewish Film Festival 2015 (NYJFF 2015) Opening Night U.S. Premiere documentary THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER documentary, by Israeli filmmakers Asaf Galay and Shaul Betser, commenced Wednesday, January 14, 4:00pm and 8:45pm at the Walter Reade Theater in Lincoln Center. The Q&A session immediately followed with directors Galay and Betser moderated by NYJFF Selection Committee, Rachel Chanoff, The Office performing arts+films, and translator Aviva Weintraub, Associate Curator, Jewish Museum and Director, New York Jewish Film Festival. Audience members and special guest Judy Bieber, Singer’s American female translator, attended the premiere.

Questions posed to directors Galay and Betser by Chanoff and the audience included: How did you come to make this story? How does a famous writer write? When you approached the interviews or when you took archival material, did people realize that it was going to be about the women in his life and this focus, or did people think you were making a general documentary about him? He had a lot of film, did you know about the films or did you come upon them when you were researching? Was he actually married to the mother of his child?

NYJFF15 Opening Night U.S. Premiere of THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER Q&A Session: (L-R) NYJFF Selection Committee, Rachel Chanoff, directors Asaf Galay, Shaul Betser, and translator Aviva Weintraub, Associate Curator, Jewish Museum, NYJFF Director.

NYJFF15 Opening Night U.S. Premiere of THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER Q&A Session: (L-R) NYJFF Selection Committee, Rachel Chanoff, directors Asaf Galay and Shaul Betser.

NYJFF15 Opening Night U.S. Premiere of THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER Q&A Session: (R-L) Translator Aviva Weintraub, Associate Curator, Jewish Museum, NYJFF Director, with directors Shaul Betser and Asaf Galay.

NYJFF15 Opening Night U.S. Premiere of THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER Q&A Session: NYJFF Selection Committee, Rachel Chanoff, left, with director Asaf Galay.

NYJFF15 Opening Night U.S. Premiere of THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER Q&A Session: Translator Aviva Weintraub, Associate Curator, Jewish Museum, NYJFF Director, right, with director Shaul Betser.