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Uncovering a history: Filmmaker Dani Rotstein to talk about, screen 'Xueta Island' at Jewish Community Center
It鈥檚 been years since Dani Rotstein visited New Mexico.
鈥淭he last time I was there, I was shooting a Subaru TV commercial,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 in a totally different place.鈥�
The Spain-based filmmaker is returning to sa国际传媒官网网页入口 to present a screening of the documentary, 鈥淴ueta Island: A Hidden History鈥� at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, at the Jewish Community Center of Greater sa国际传媒官网网页入口.
鈥淴ueta Island鈥� explores the fascinating legacy of the Xuetas (pronounced Chuetas): a unique group of families on the Balearic island of Majorca who are believed to be descendants of the island鈥檚 Inquisition-era Jewish population.
Most of the families were forced to renounce their Judaism and officially convert, which functionally 鈥渆liminated鈥� Jewish life in Majorca. Yet many continued to practice their Judaism in secret.
Though they were practicing Catholics, the Xuetas were discriminated against up until the middle of the 20th century, always forced to marry within their subgroup population.
It is estimated that there are roughly 20,000 Xuetas living on the island today.
Current-day Majorca presents a compelling case study for silenced Judaism, as practicing Catholic families cite Jewish 鈥渢raditions鈥� that date back centuries, without ever being openly acknowledged or explained.
Rotstein says the documentary follows him, a Jewish American expat who moved to the island recently and quickly became fascinated with the story.
Years of research were done prior to production beginning in 2019.
Rotstein and co-directors Ofer Laszewicki and Felipe Wolokita began presenting the documentary to the world in 2022.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited about bringing it to New Mexico because the area has a long history with Crypto Jews,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a connection with those living in Majorca and New Mexico.鈥�
Rotstein says Majorca didn鈥檛 allow international tourism until the 1930s.
Uncovering a history: Filmmaker Dani Rotstein to talk about, screen 'Xueta Island' at Jewish Community Center
Since he lives in Majorca, Rotstein was able to connect with other Jewish families to learn about the history.
鈥淚t was a very complicated shoot and editing process,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e actually filmed most of the film in 10 days. I was the sole producer and got friends and family to get the budget to fly in Ofer and Felipe to help direct. At the time, both were living in Israel. Ofer grew up in Barcelona, and he鈥檚 a journalist and spoke the language.鈥�
Rotstein says the documentary is being used as an investigative piece.
鈥淭he idea was never to really make a film that was entertaining,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e made a film to understand and take a pulse of the Jewish community in Majorca in 2018. With the idea of is it good or not good to encourage people to connect to their roots.鈥�
