Telling our own Jewish stories

In an industry where representation is treated as cultural currency, Jewish Australians remain almost entirely absent from the screen. There has never been a feature film or television series set in the Australian Jewish community, made by the community, and publicly supported by a funding body. Writer and director Gideon Heine is seeking to change this with his new film, Wish You Long Life.

Shaped by the stories of his grandparents, Heine says he has a lifelong fascination with storytelling and its ability to connect across generations.

“Growing up in an immigrant family with Holocaust-surviving grandparents whose first language wasn’t English, I was shaped by stories of survival, identity, and resilience,” Heine told The AJN, explaining that the film is a response to the current moment where being openly Jewish feels complex.

“Despite Australia’s deep and diverse Jewish history, those stories are still largely absent from our screens,” he said, saying the film is his response. “It aims to bear witness to the lived experiences of Jewish Australians today, while honouring the histories, Holocaust survivors, and communities that continue to shape them.”

The story follows Adi Hertzberg, played by Noah Missell, who returns to Melbourne’s Jewish community after the death of his childhood best friend, Reuben. Adi and his friend Maya, played by Tal Davida, are forced to reconnect after Reuben is doxxed for being Jewish. The characters navigate the trauma of their grandparents, who survived Auschwitz and the Farhud, while confronting contemporary antisemitism.