New Books Network Julia Wagner, "Hester Street" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
Dec 2, 2025
Julia Wagner, a film scholar and critic based in London, discusses her new book on Joan Micklin Silver's iconic film, Hester Street. She explores the film's portrayal of the immigrant experience and its surprising critical and commercial success despite being labeled a 'Jewish film.' Wagner examines the unique challenges Silver faced, from financing to production constraints, and how these shaped the film's intimate style. She also highlights underexplored themes, including feminism and cultural identity, positioning Hester Street as a milestone in American cinema.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Intimate Immigrant Storytelling
- Hester Street centers Gitl's interior journey rather than spectacle, making the immigrant experience intimate and personal.
- Julia Wagner argues this focus gives the film universal emotional resonance beyond its specific New York setting.
Pigeonholed Into Niche Study
- The film was pigeonholed as a 'Jewish film', which limited crossover academic attention.
- Wagner says this siloing kept it out of wider film and feminist studies despite its cinematic merits.
Set Three Guiding Strands
- Set clear research parameters and focus on interconnected themes to keep a project manageable.
- Wagner used three guiding strands (Jewish, feminist, film studies) to shape her book and contain scope.
