SF Film Premiere: The Tribe, An Unorthodox History of Barbie

Sat, Dec 3
8:00pm-9:00pm
$18

World premiere of The Tribe: An Unorthodox, Unauthorized History of
the Jewish People and the Barbie DollhellipIn About 15 Minutes
followed by a panel discussion with director Tiffany Shlain, actor
Peter Coyote, and others


What can Barbie tell you about being young and Jewish today?

In her much-anticipated new film The Tribe: An Unorthodox,
Unauthorized History of the Jewish People and the Barbie DollhellipIn
About 15 Minutes, celebrated filmmaker and Webby Awards founder
Tiffany Shlain focuses on a surprising fact about Barbie - that she
was the creation of a Jewish-American woman - and turns it into a
powerful metaphor about assimilation and Jewish identity in the 21st
Century.

Celebrating its world premiere at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco
on Saturday, December 3, The Tribe, narrated by award-winning actor
Peter Coyote, weaves together archival footage, graphics, animation,
dioramas, and slam poetry to take audiences on a electric ride
through the complex history of both the Barbie doll and the Jewish
people.

"The fact that Ruth Handel, an American Jew, had created the Barbie,
the ultimate insider, is one of the great ironies of pop culture,"
said Shlain, 35, who produced and directed The Tribe. "By tracing
Barbie's fascinating history and success, we are hoping to shed light
on why so many people of my generation are wary of organized
religion, but are still hungry for meaning and connection in their
lives."

In a novel film distribution approached aimed at spurring further
discussion, the audience at the San Francisco premiere will receive a
complimentary toolkit which includes a DVD of The Tribe, a companion
guide, "The Guide from the Perplexed," which explores ideas, facts,
and images from the film in greater depth; witty and provocative
flashcards with words like "kosher," "guilt" and "Israel" to trigger
conversation; and tips for hosting a viewing party for The Tribe.

The Tribe website (www.tribethefilm.com), launching in December, will
also showcase community features that will allow audiences worldwide
to connect, discuss and debate the issues and ideas raised in the film.

In addition to the DVD and toolkit being available for purchase
online beginning December 1st, The Tribe will be distributed through
a new subscription-based national film club that will bundle it with
other short films exploring issues of faith and culture from
progressive viewpoints. New York and Los Angeles premieres of The
Tribe are slated for early 2006.

Honored by Newsweek as one of the "Women Shaping the 21st Century,"
Shlain believes The Tribe will strike a nerve among her generation in
much the same way her previous film, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of
Happiness (www.lifeliberty.net) served as a wake up call for young
Americans about the importance of reproductive rights. An Official
Selection at Sundance, the film screened at more than 200 festivals
across the world and aired on the Sundance Channel this fall. Shlain
is also the founder of The Webby Awards, hailed as "the online
equivalent of an Oscar" by The New York Times.

For The Tribe, Shlain co-wrote the film with her husband, Ken
Goldberg, an acclaimed artist, and her long-time collaborator, art
director Gil Gershoni. The trio has worked together for a decade on
projects, including The Webby Awards, an art installation at the
Whitney Biennial, and Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness. The
film also showcases celebrated spoken word artist Vanessa Hidary, who
has appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, and a score by composer Paul
Godwin, who won a Bay Area Critics Circle Award in 2003 for his
original score of Tony Kushner's Homebody/Kabul.

A panel discussion and Q&A will follow the San Francisco screening.
Panelists will include Peter Coyote, Tiffany Shlain, Ken Goldberg,
Gil Gershoni and spoken word artist Vanessa Hidary. New York-based
Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross, the queen of Judeo-kitsch, will serve as
the evening's emcee.

To purchase tickets for the premiere, please visit
www.tribethefilm.com. For press seating at the premiere, please
contact

Venue:

Herbst Theater
401 Van Ness Avenue at McAllister
San Francisco

Additional Info:

212-627-8098
http://www.tribethefilm.com