Full Description
Ariel lives in New York, far from El Once, the lively Jewish district in Buenos Aires where he grew up. When his father Usher, who runs a Jewish charity, summons him back home for help, Ariel reluctantly returns. His memories growing up involve Usher prioritizing the formation of a minyan (a quorum of 10 men needed for certain Jewish rituals) for strangers’ funerals over meaningful activities at his own school. Even now, Usher acts very much like the absent father of Ariel’s childhood, communicating only by cell phone. Yet he has a grand scheme that actually has his son’s best interests in mind. He has a laundry list of tasks for Ariel to complete, all of which involve helping to keep the charity running. Usher carefully choreographs Ariel meeting Eva (Julieta Zylberberg), a silent Orthodox beauty who Ariel is unmistakably drawn to, first through her cooking and then romantically. Director Daniel Burman (Lost Embrace, SFJFF 2004; Empty Nest, SFJFF 2009; All In, SFJFF 2012) deftly mixes the real people of El Once with actors. What ensues is a paean to the Jewish values of charity and community. The Tenth Man is a kindhearted comedy with a gentle romantic touch. It joyfully upends the old adage that you can never go home again and instead says, maybe under the right circumstances, you can.
—Jay Rosenblatt
Filmmaker Bio(s)
Daniel Burman was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on August 29, 1973.
In 1993, his short documetary "En Que Estacion Estamos…?" (In Which Station Are We…?) received UNESCO's Honorable Mention Award.
In 1994 his script "Ninos Envueltos" was given an award at the Annual Short Subject Film Contest of the Argentine Film and Audiovisual Arts Institute (INCAA) and was filmed during the course of that year. The short was presented in 1995 as part of a feature film in episodes titled "Historias Breves" (Short Stories), which premiered at a film exhibition in the city of Buenos Aires with excellent public and critical acclaim.
In 1995, his film "Un Crisantemo Estalla En Cincoesquinas" was presented in numerous international festivals: Sundance Film Festival, Berlinale (Official Selection), San Sebastian, La Habana, Nantes, Russian International Film Festival (FIPRESCI Award) and Le Festival des Films de Monde in Montreal.
In 1997 he produced "Plaza de Almas" by Fernando Diaz, multiawarded at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival (Best Latin American Film, Audience Award), OCIC, and Best Film at the Chicago Film Festival.
In 1998, Burman produced Mercedes Guevara's "Rio Escondido".
In 1999 he was Executive Producer of the film "Garage Olimpo", a French-Italian-Argentine production directed by Marco Bechis, which was invited to Cannes '99 and was a winner of more than 20 international awards.
In 2000 he directed "Esperando Al Mesias" (Waiting for the Messiah), his second feature film, which was awarded a special acting prize for Enrique Pineyro at the Novo Cine Festival in Buenos Aires.
