Kinderland (2021)

KINDERLAND is a half-hour documentary film that tells the story of two secular Jewish summer camps in upstate New York that have cultivated social activists for almost a century and are still in existence today. Both camps were founded by secular working-class Jews on either side of the leftist political divide. Kinderland was communist; Kinder Ring (The Workmen's Circle) socialist. Despite numerous commonalities, they enjoyed a legendary feud from opposite ends of Sylvan Lake. In response to the devastating impact of the Trump era and the accompanying rise in intolerance and inequality, today's campers, a largely secular multi-ethnic group, prioritize shared values over philosophical differences and attempt to join forces in the ongoing fight for equality and justice. What makes KINDERLAND both exceptional and timely is that it presents a history of political consciousness in America, while highlighting the ongoing reemergence of critical social issues and the ways divisiveness is a primary impediment to establishing real and permanent change.