Providing the inspiration for films like DIRTY DANCING and the TV show “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Grossinger’s was the crown jewel of the Borscht Belt (an enclave of Jewish resorts in the Catskills of upstate New York also called “the Jewish Alps”). Not only were these resorts an oasis for Jewish families in the ‘50s and ‘60s but they instigated culture-shifting advancements in the world of live entertainment such as stand-up comedy. Director Paula Eiselt (93QUEEN, SJFF 2019) has crafted a celebration of the Grossinger’s experience through interviews with Grossinger family members (with particular focus on three generations of Grossinger women who built and refined the brand), varnished photographs, newsreel footage, clips and interviews with myriad celebrities who performed there.
Shot and edited with warmth, Eiselt serves up nostalgia that adds up to something deeper—a cinematic excavation of a mythological time and place. WE MET AT GROSSINGER’S is a definitive account of a magical bygone era and world beloved and deeply relevant to those who sojourned there and were inspired by it.
Director Bio: View on IMDB
Paula Eiselt is a Primetime Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker. She is known for her journalistic rigor and for telling timely, intelligent cinematic stories led by strong-willed characters. Her previous award-winning documentaries include 93QUEEN (SJFF 2019), AFTERSHOCK and UNDER G-D.
