JIFF: The Wild One

The Story

The Wild One illuminates the journey of an unsung artist, Jack Garfein - Holocaust camp survivor, Actors Studio co-founder and teacher, celebrated Broadway director and controversial filmmaker. Born in Czechoslovakia, Garfein was deported to Auschwitz at the age of 13. In 1946 he arrived in New York to study theatre, and at the age of 16 came under the wing of renowned acting teacher Lee Strasberg.  

Interweaving Garfien’s own testimonial with narration from Willem Dafoe, this powerful documentary examines how trauma shaped Garfein‘s vision of acting and propelled his engagement with themes of violence, power, and racism in post-war America.  

Rating

E

Duration

Cast

Jack Garfien, Willem Dafoe,

Director

Tessa Louise-Salomé