JIFF26 Ethan Bloom

This delightful coming-of-age comedy set in Miami navigates the perils of first love, religion and grief through the eyes of a 13-year-old Jewish boy who is determined to become Catholic.   After losing his mother, Ethan Bloom lives a double life. Despite his widowed father Gary’s heroic attempts to keep him grounded in his Jewish faith, Ethan is secretly finding solace in the Catholic church and seeks to convert. Gary strikes a deal: Ethan must begin studying for his bar mitzvah with the unconventional Rabbi Dani if he wants to continue to spend time with Father Diaz at the church.  Torn between shabbat dinners with his complicated family, his first romance with a headstrong Catholic girl, and his newfound faith, Ethan comes to the realisation that faith isn’t about choosing sides, it’s about honouring the messy, beautiful pieces of who we are.