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The Tribe
29 mnutes
SCREENS OCTOBER 9 AT MERRITT COLLEGE
SCREENS OCTBER 12 AT JACK LONDON SQUARE
What can the most successful doll on the planet show us about being Jewish today?
Narrated by Peter Coyote, the film mixes old school narration with a new school visual style. The
Tribe weaves together archival footage, graphics, animation, Barbie dioramas, and slam poetry to
take audiences on an electric ride through the complex history of both the Barbie doll and the
Jewish people -- from Biblical times to present day. By tracing Barbie’s history, the film sheds
light on the questions: What does it mean to be an American Jew today? What does it mean to
be a member of any tribe in the 21st Century?
Produced, Directed and Edited by
Tiffany Shlain
Written by
Tiffany Shlain & Ken Goldberg
Art Director
Gil Gershoni
Narrator
Peter Coyote
"Hebrew Mamita" Written and Performed by
Vanessa Hidary
Music Composed by
Paul Godwin
Special Animations by
Stefan Nadelman
Cinematography
Sophie Constantinou
Associate Producer
Carlton Evans
Sound Design & Rerecording Mixer
Dave Nelson
Additional Music Composed by
Matt Ganucheau
Production Management
Citizen Film
Assistant Director
Romy Itzigsohn
Associate Editor
Dalan “The Magician” McNabola
Animator
Thomas Eugene Green
Music Supervisor
Paul Godwin
“Yismekhu Khosid'l” (trad., arr. Amy Zakar/TKD)
& “New Jersey Freylekhs” (Ben Holmes)
Performed by
The Klez Dispensers
“Who Knows One?”
From the So Called Seder
Performed by
So Called featuring David Krakauer
Beatbox “Hava Negila” (trad., arr. Yuri Lane)
Performed by
Yuri Lane
Cameos
Dina Amsterdam, Bill Barnes, Marina Berlin,
Stellah DeVille, Carlton Evans, Amy Gershoni,
Ken Goldberg, Romy Itzigsohn, Misha Leybovich,
Emily Morse, Jen Naylor, Ian Schneider,
Jordan Shlain, BJ Wasserman, Adam Werbach
Make-up by Marina Berlin
Archival Images and Footage Provided by
Getty Images
Oddball Film & Video San Francisco
Prelinger Archives
Craig Baldwin Archive
'Diaspora' photographs copyright Frédéric Brenner
Barbie Collection Provided by
Sandi Holder's Doll Attic
Fiscal Sponsor
Film Arts Foundation
Script Contributors
Carlton Evans, Susan Stern, Romy Itzigsohn
Script Advisors
Maya Draisin, Leonard Shlain, Ari Kelman,
Kimberly Brooks, Colin Weil, Ari Wallach,
Ann Goldberg, Elena Mann, Aldele Goldberg,
Cathy Brooks, Adam Werbach, Amichai Lau-Levi,
Dan Geller, Michael Kaminer, Yogi Graham,
Amy Gershoni, Rebecca Eisenberg, Curtis Smoler,
Sandi Dubowski, Rabbi Andy Bachman
Resident Barbieologist
Susan Stern
Audio Post Production Facilities, Outpost Studios
Online Services, Elastic Creative
Dialogue & SFX Editor, Miik Dinko
Scheduling Goddess, Deldelp Medina
Prop Master, Molli Amara Simon
For Citizen Film:
Coordination, Katrina Drabkin
Kohn Intern, Ben Friend
Praxis Intern, Jordan Clement
*If the world were a tribe of 100 people" inspired by an anonymous email that began circulating sometime around 2000
In Memory of
Ella King Torrey
It takes a shtetl ...special thanks to:
Carole Jaffe, Leonard Shlain, Odessa Simone, Kimberly Brooks, Jordan Shlain, Maya Draisin, Ann Goldberg, Ina Gyemant, Herb Jaffe, Lillian Rosenthal,
Elena Mann, Adele Goldberg, Amy Gershoni, Rachel Levin, Roger Bennet,
Marla Steuer, Douglas Rushkoff, Amy Critchett, Meg Wagner, Felicia Herman, Joyce Linker, Betty Schafer, Dr. Debbie Findling, Mark Reisbaum, Susan Mall,
Roseann Levitt, Anita Wornick, Sue & Dick Wollack, Connie Shapiro, Dr. Judith Ginsberg, Sharna Goldseker, Lisa Goldberg, Barbara & Richard Rosenberg, Mirelle Silkoff, Jules Shell, Jon Kessleman, Mitchell Frank, Julie Hermelin, Lynn Newhouse Segal, Hiedi Zukerman-Jacobson, Dan Bern, David Henkin, Jennifer Elias, Beth Kelley, Bess Bendet, Suzanne Baird, Sandi Holder, Ron Alterovitz, Laura Lauder, Mark Itzigsohn, Rick Prelinger, Aaron Bisken, Marilyn Fabe, Arnie Baskin, Roberta Munroe, Sam Ball, Kate Stilley Steiner, Tamara Smart, Jerry Giaquinta, Davida Finger, Jon Rodrigues, Beth Kelley, Robert Chehoski, Craig Baldwin, Danielle Leeper, Ruben, Jessica Robins, Josh Crandall, Gilad Gershoni, Mickey Heimlich, Lisa Lepson, Simon Frankel, MJ Bogatin
*No Barbies were harmed in the making of this film
Barbie is a registered trademark of Mattel, Inc. This film is not in
any way sponsored by or affiliated with Mattel. The film contains
factual references to the creation and history of the Barbie doll.
The Tribe is a non-profit pursuit.