The Last Klezmer

Klezmer music, sometimes called Jewish "soul" music, has a rich and lengthy past, and now, a revitalized future. This festive Jewish band music originated in pre-World War II Poland, but now resonates in a cultural and musical revival all across America. THE LAST KLEZMER looks at one of the pioneers of this music, a remarkable, 69-year-old man named Leopold Kozlowski. An actor and musical consultant in Steven Spielberg's SCHINDLER'S LIST, Kozlowski is the last active Klezmer musician trained in the original, prewar tradition.

This spirited documentary follows Kozlowski as he returns, for the first time in fifty years, to the Polish village where he was raised. Though his parents were killed by the Nazis, and he himself spent much of the war in concentration camps, Kozlowski emerged from the experience devoted to keeping alive his cultural heritage and Klezmer music. As this charming and moving film shows, both Kozlowski and his music have survived and remain vibrant and inspiring.