Thursday, Nov 13, 2025
Janis Ian: Breaking Silence | Opening Night
7 PM Film Screening
$25 General Admission – Opening Night
Live at The Weitzman
Directed by Varda Bar-Kar
Documentary Feature | USA | 2024 |114 min | NR |English
Subject Janis Ian and director Varda Bar-Kar expected to attend
Talkback and reception to follow
Janis Ian: Breaking Silence chronicles the remarkable life of Jewish singer-songwriter Janis Ian, beginning with her teen years when she was a precocious member of the vibrant Greenwich Village folk scene and jammed late at night with such legends as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. In 1965, the 14-year-old singer-songwriter from New Jersey wrote “Society’s Child,” a song about an interracial relationship. It launched Ian’s career, but its subject matter ignited controversy, even resulting in death threats. The fallout plunged Ian into an emotional tailspin—and yet she emerged from the ashes with an even bigger hit, “At Seventeen.” Spanning six decades, Varda Bar-Kar’s intimate documentary sheds light on every obstacle Ian faced — homophobia, misogyny, and a life-threatening illness – on her journey to becoming one of pop music’s most formidable trailblazers. Featuring interviews with Joan Baez, Jean Smart, Arlo Guthrie, Lily Tomlin, and Tom Paxton, among other icons, Breaking Silence is a definitive portrait of a one-of-a-kind musical talent.
Official Selection:
Miami Jewish Film Festival
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Sacramento Jewish Film Festival, Audience Award for Best Documentary
“Bar-Kar tells this tale of love, loss, and life-altering lyricism with the same tenderness of Ian’s songwriting. Even if you’re not a fan, you might be moved to tears.” – The Rolling Stone
“Janis Ian: Breaking Silence takes a candid look into the ‘At Seventeen’ singer-songwriter’s decades-long journey as a musician staying true to her voice and artistry.” – PBS
Director’s Bio
Emmy Award-winning director Varda Bar-Kar brings a global perspective to work, exploring the complexity of the human condition in uplifting ways. She was born in England and had lived on three continents by the time she was ten. Her documentary Big Voice (Netflix, 2015) takes a deep dive into the culture of artistic excellence fostered by Santa Monica High School choir director Jeffe Huls. Fandango at the Wall (HBO/MAX, 2020) follows Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Maestro Arturo O’Farrill to the United States-Mexico Border for a bi-national fandango transforming “the wall” from an object that divides to one that unites. PBS Socal commissioned Varda to make a documentary about renowned actor and art collector Cheech Marin for the season premiere of their series Artbound, which garnered an LA Press Journalism award and two Los Angeles Emmy Awards. In search of a subject for her next film, Varda read Janis Ian’s autobiography Society’s Childand knew she had to make a film about her. The resulting film, Janis Ian: Breaking Silence (2025), was picked up by Greenwich Entertainment for a limited theatrical release and aired nationally on PBS’s American Masters. Varda is a Ford Foundation Grantee, an alum of the Ryan Murphy Half Foundation Directing Program and the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Residency, and a member of the Directors Guild of America, The Television Academy, and the International Documentary Association.
This event is presented by Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media. Please contact info@phillyjfm.org with any questions.