British-Jewish Cinema: From Petticoat Lane to the Zone of Interest

While Jews have played a crucial role in the British film industry since its inception, their on-screen representation and academic study remain surprisingly neglected, creating a significant gap in both film studies and Jewish studies. The chapter argues that British-Jewish cinema reflects broader societal shifts in Jewish identity and integration, moving from early antisemitic stereotypes through cautious postwar representations to a more complex and confident expression of Jewishness from the 1990s onward. This transformation was shaped by Britain’s changing political landscape, particularly during the Thatcher era, growing Holocaust awareness, and wider multicultural developments. The increased visibility of Jewish themes in recent decades reveals cultural confidence and communal anxieties about continuity and identity. Contemporary films explore intersections of Jewish identity with gender, sexuality, and religious observance, though rising antisemitism and political changes may affect future representations. The chapter contends that significant scholarly gaps remain, particularly regarding women’s contributions, documentary films, and non-Ashkenazi perspectives. A comprehensive study of Jewish participation in British cinema is essential to complete our understanding of both Jewish life in Britain and Jews’ role in global creative industries.