ENTANGLED
Behind the frosted glass of a wig shop in Brooklyn lies a hidden world where a diverse group of women from the Lubavitch Jewish community negotiates boundaries in their relationship with God, modern society, and traditional expectations.
The producer, Vivien Schütz, drops into Zelda’s wig shop in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights and meets a few of her customers who take us into their private world in orthodox Judaism.
Lubavitch women begin covering their hair the day after the wedding, usually with wigs. The reason being is that female hair in orthodox Judaism is considered sensual and only for the eyes of the husband. Many women cover their hair for the purpose of modesty and for spiritual reasons. The documentary follows three women from the community, Zelda, Sarah and Yetta, as they navigate the line between their feelings and orthodox societal expectations.
Zelda Wigs is owned and run by Zelda Volkov, a 28-year-old mother of three. At the age of 22, she realizes, that her wig doesn't fit her personality. She starts to make her own wig and soon after that, she opens her own wig shop, in 2016. She is now divorced and chooses to not cover her hair anymore.
Sarah, 27, a Jewish Influencer from Crown Heights, is wearing and promoting a Zelda wig. She struggles to cover her hair but tries to figure out a way to commit to the commandment.
Yetta, a 29-year-old mom who grew up in Crown Heights and now lives in Philadelphia, feels very much connected to God and Judaism but decides to uncover her hair.
Duration: 42'06'
Production: 2020
Supported by Ake Blomström Award (shoutout to my coach Conor Garrett) and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW
You can listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/xx-xx-266001362/entangled