The Sacred Society

A documentary animated in sand about the volunteers who clean, dress, and prepare bodies for burial according to Jewish tradition.

Screens as part of A Dose of Reality: Documentary Shorts

Benny Zelkowicz is a stop-motion animator, writer, and educator whose work spans television, film, literature, and theater. He’s led animation on Robot Chicken, Supermansion, and Moral Orel, and contributed to The LEGO Movie, The Simpsons, and Marvel’s MODOK. His acclaimed sand-animated short The ErlKing screened at Sundance, Annecy, and the New York Film Festival. A CalArts graduate, he studied under animation legends Jules Engel and Suzan Pitt. He co-authored The Books of Ore fantasy trilogy (Disney-Hyperion) and wrote the musical The Golem’s Gift, premiering in 2026. Zelkowicz teaches at The Ohio State University.

This film is available with closed captions.

Schedule

Sunday August 3, 2025
12:30 p.m.
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12 minutes
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