Original subtitles

SEDER-MASOCHISM

Written by God, Moses, or A Series of Patriarchal Males, depending on whom you ask

Moses

Animated and Directed by Nina Paley

Moses

Produced by Nina Paley and Producer X

Moses

Hoop-de-doo-de-doo-de Moses

Moses!

Moses!

Moses!

Behold this golden goblet of wine.

It is a symbol of joy as we celebrate the festival of Passover.

Many long years ago on this night,

our ancestors heard the call of freedom

and tonight that call rings out once more,

commanding us to champion the cause

of the oppressed peoples throughout the world.

I don't know, are you recording?

I can't tell.

I think so...

Don't waste this.

I hope so...

Okay.

All right!

So what do you want me to do?

I want you to sing the...

the...Passover...

uh...

You know, you'd go like, baruch-atah-adonai-eluh...

No, that's not what I sang on Passover.

I really don't know what I used to...

Well, OK, there's this part, which is the Kaddish

And I will do the best I can, Nina -

excellent -

Because it's been years and years and years -

When was the last Seder you did?

When did you leave the house?

(Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe

Who createst the fruit of the vine.)

Sorry, when I'm not burping I'll do it again.

We now drink our first cup of wine.

It is customary for each person to drink four cups of wine at the Seder table.

These four cups symbolize the ancient Four Freedoms

which are represented in the liberation of the Jewish people from bondage.

Ooh-ahh, rat-a-tat-boom!

Make the sound of a jet plane zoom.

Ooh-ahh, rat-a-tat boom!

Make the sound of a bomb.

You've got to believe in something

Why not believe in me?

You've got to believe in something

Why not believe in me?

Tell me, brother,

What have I - I -

done to you

to make you mean and treat me

the way you do?

Go on and wave your flag,

brother,

start your revolution.

I'm willing to let you do your thing,

Tell me why are you blind when it comes to mine?

You've got to believe in something

Why not believe in me?

Me, me, me, me, believe in me

You've got to believe in something

Ooh yeah

Why not believe in me?

Why don't you let the Wilson sisters set you free?

Take the chain off your brain

Believe in me, Oh I said now -

Take the chain off your brain

Believe, yeah hey

You always want to be like that

We're under you, can't believe

STOP! Take a look at yourself.

Don't refuse

You've got to believe in something

Why not believe in me?

Why don't you let the Wilson sisters set you free?

You've got to believe in something

Why not believe in me?

You've got to believe in something

Why not believe in me?

You've got to believe in something

Why not believe in me?

We were once the slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt

And the Lord, our God,

delivered us from bondage by His might.

Go down,

Moses.

Way down in Egypt land.

Tell old Pharaoh...

to...

LET MY PEOPLE GO!

Now, when Israel was in Egypt land...

LET MY PEOPLE GO!

Oppressed so hard they could not stand...

LET MY PEOPLE GO!

So the Lord said,

Go down, Moses,

way down in Egypt land.

Tell old Pharaohs

to let my people go.

LET MY PEOPLE GO.

So Moses went to Egypt land.

LET MY PEOPLE GO

He made old Pharaoh understand.

LET MY PEOPLE GO

Yes, the Lord said:

Go down,

Moses,

Way down in Egypt land.

Tell old Pharaohs

to let my people go.

LET MY PEOPLE GO

"Thus spoke the Lord,"

bold Moses said,

LET MY PEOPLE GO

"If not, I'll smite your first-born dead."

LET MY PEOPLE GO

'Cause the Lord said,

Go down,

Moses

Way down in Egypt land

Tell old Pharaoh

to LET MY PEOPLE GO!

WAY DOWN IN EGYPT LAND

Tell old

Pharaoh

to let my people

GO!

Oh, when I was a kid I knew this, word by word.

And this is what we did in Hebrew school.

We learned these things by rote.

And I could do everything, and then at the Seder I would have a certain...

You know, as the kid, the youngest male, I would have certain...

special roles, like asking about...

asking the Four Questions...

...one of which is, "Why is this night...

...whatever..."

THE SEDER PLATE

Shankbone

Roasted Egg

Parsley

Bitter Herbs

Romaine Lettuce

Apple, nuts, wine and honey

Matzoh

"Ha lachma anya."

This is the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.

Let all who are hungry and needy

enter, and eat with us.

Oh, here's a question.

Yeah?

Since you cared so little about it, or for it,

why did you keep doing Passover anyway?

Well I still believed in the fact that, uh,

you had a heritage, and I wanted you guys to know something about your heritage.

And it was a happy, kind of, uh,

I mean there are the sad times, the Exodus and all that stuff...

which is the sad part of Passover...

but, uh...

It was happy and sad both.

You know, happy from the fact that Jews were getting out of Egypt,

and it was, uh...

sad that...

there had to be all these mean Jews before the Pharaoh...

gave in to the Jewish people, and...

they had an opportunity to

for Moses to lead them through the split Red Sea, and then of course,

the Sea came back together again

and killed all these Egyptians...

But, uh...

I thought you should know a little something about

the heritage of a...

of what was basically our family.

We now reach the reading of the Ten Plagues

which God brought to the Egyptians.

As each one of these Plagues is mentioned,

a drop of wine is spilled from the goblet

into a plate.

THE TEN PLAGUES

BLOOD

Which a-way,

which a-way,

do that blood-red river run?

From my back window

to the rising sun.

Red river, red river,

won't you tell me what to do?

Mmmm, worried as I can be.

Which a-way, which a-way,

do that blood-red river run?

From my back window

to the rising sun.

FROGS

FROGS!

They hop to that.

FROGS!

Hop to that.

FROGS!

They hop to that.

FROGS!

Hop to that.

FROGS!

They hop to that.

FROGS!

Hop to that.

FROGS!

They hop to that.

FROGS!

Hop to that.

And some might say that he's a dummy.

LICE

Tiny insects in my hair,

Tiny insects everywhere.

Tiny insects in my pants.

Watching insects make romance.

Insects make you make me want to DANCE!

Dance, dance

They make me want to dance!

Dance, dance

Those insects make me want to dance!

FLIES

Flying insects everywhere.

Flying insects buzzing, buzzing, buzzing through the air.

Just like little diamonds in the sky.

Insects buzzing in my eye!

Buzzing insects make me want to DANCE!

Dance, dance!

They make me want to dance, dance, dance.

Those insects make me dance, dance, dance.

They make me want to dance, dance, dance.

Those insects make me want to dance!

MURRAIN

Dead animals

Dead animals

Dead animals

Dead anima-ha-hals

Dead animals, dead animals

Dead animals, dead animals

Dead animals, dead animals.

BOILS

I GOT BLISTERS!

HAIL

Hail, hail,

the gang's all here!

What the duke do we care?

Hail, hail, we're full of cheer!

What the duke do we care now?

LOCUSTS

Insects make me scream and shout!

They don't know what life's about.

They don't have blood, they've got too many legs,

too little brains in their heads!

They know they'll rule the world someday,

They bite and sting me anyway!

They bite and sting and SUCK!

They bite and sting and suck suck suck!

They bite and sting and suck suck suck suck...

DANCE!

Stomp! Dance!

Those insects make me....

DARKNESS

Who turned the light out on my life?

And who turned my day into night?

You made a mess out of my life.

You don't seem to know the wrong from right.

Somebody said you were leaving,

and I didn't know what to do.

I thought I'd never stop grieving;

I just couldn't tear myself from you!

And, uh, you know,

We all sat around the table, including Uncle Herzl...

And Uncle Herzl rejected to the part where you did...

a drop to signify...

To signify the killing of the firstborn Egyptians. My uncle

got infuriated with that, he didn't like that part.

Why?

Well who wants to kill people?

What?

I mean, we don't want to go around killing people, right?

But you shed the drop because -

the idea is you shed the drop because you're sympathizing.

You're like, "oh, this was a terrible thing."

So you're going to spill some of the wine from your cup

because it was such a bad thing.

Yeah but I think literally it was

in celebration of the killing of the firstborn Egyptians

and my uncle didn't like it.

But anyhow, he and my father would have a big fight every Seder at that point.

Every year they'd have a big fight.

DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN EGYPTIANS

Falling stars you wished upon

are cinders now, and now they're gone.

Their residue festoons my fetid field.

Unfeeling husks of lovers past,

the shells are all that ever last.

I've taken everything that they've concealed.

Whoever told you like was fair?

Look around you, everywhere

the cruelty of nature is displayed.

Why the scorn? Why the surprise?

Everything that's born must die

and it isn't I

who made the world that way.

What wicked little twist of fate

placed you here upon my plate?

Here, where no one hears your cries?

Where was your God, to steer you through?

Perhaps your God's forsaken you.

Otherwise, why lead you here to die?

I

I know the way how

I'll melt away now

I know the way.

I'm feeling bliss now,

dissolved to mist

how strangely I go

away

Now I finally know.

It's merely moments now,

moments now until

your feeble flesh bends to my will

and it will

so rest your weary head.

There'll be no pain,

no pain at all,

as everything you are dissolves

Your fate resolved upon my silky threads.

I

I know the way how

I'll melt away now

I know the way.

I'm feeling bliss now,

dissolved to mist

how strangely I go away

Now I finally know.

I

I know the way how

I'll melt away now

I know the way.

I'm feeling bliss now,

dissolved to mist

how strangely I go

away

Now I finally

know.

Oh!

All right now go!

Walk out the door

Just turn around now,

you're not welcome anymore....

Let us therefore sing a song of thanks to God!

Not only for protecting us from our enemies,

but also for the great and magnificent gifts He has bestowed upon us:

His Torah,

The Sabbath,

and the Festivals.

And now His greatest gift,

which we in this generation have been privileged to witness:

The return of our land!

The land of Israel!

DAYENU!

There's a land that I see

where the children are free

and I say it ain't far

to this land from where we are.

Take my hand, come with me

where the children are free

Come with me, take my hand

and we'll live

In a land where the river runs free!

In a land through the green country!

In a land through a shining sea!

And you and me are free to be

you and me.

I see a land, bright and clear,

and the time's coming near

when we'll live in this land,

you and me, hand in hand.

Take my hand, come along,

lend your voice to my song.

Come along, take my hand,

sing a song:

For a land where the river runs free!

For a land through the green country!

For a land through a shining sea!

For a land where the horses run free!

And you and me are free to be

you and me.

Every boy in this land

grows to be his own man.

In this land every girl

grows to be her own woman.

Take my hand, come with me

where the children are free

Come with me, take my hand,

and we'll run

to a land where the river runs free!

To a land through the green country!

To a land to a shining sea!

To a land where the horses run free!

To a land where the children are free!

And you and me are free to be,

and you and me are free to be,

and you and me are free to be

You and me.

You and me!

You and me!

You and me!

And you and me are free to be

You and me.

The second half of our Seder

begins with the Grace After Meals.

Praised be Thou, oh Lord God,

King of the world,

who feeds the entire universe with His goodness,

His grace,

and His lovingkindness.

He gives bread to all flesh,

and in His great goodness

food has never been lacking for us,

for He feeds and supports everyone.

Our God,

Our Father,

feed us,

support us,

sustain us.

Do you think the events in Exodus actually happened?

What the hell kind of question is that to ask me?

I don't care!

Now if you feel that you can't go on,

because all of your hope is gone,

and your life is filled with much confusion

until happiness is just an illusion

and your world around is crumbling down,

Darling

Reach out

Come on girl, reach on out for me

Reach out

Reach out for me

Ha!

I'll be there

with the love that will shelter you

I'll be there

with the love that will see you through.

When you feel lost, and about to give up

'cause your best just ain't good enough

and you feel the world has grown cold

and you're drifting out all on your own

and you need a hand to hold,

Darling

Reach out

Come on girl, reach out for me

Reach out

Reach out for me

Ha!

I'll be there

to love and comfort you

And I'll be there

to cherish and care for you.

I can tell the way you hang your head

you're without love now

now you're afraid

And through your tears you look around,

but there's no peace of mind to be found

I know what you're thinking:

You're alone now, no love of your own

but Darling,

Reach out

Come on girl, reach out for me

Reach out

Just look over your shoulder

I'll be there

to give you all the love you need

And I'll be there

You can always depend on me

I'll be there...

Our third cup of wine is called:

Elijah's Cup.

In Jewish tradition, the Prophet Elijah

is the messenger of God.

Appointed to herald the era of the messiah,

the era of perfect happiness

when all peoples throughout the world

shall be free.

We drink the third cup,

The Cup of Elijah

and then refill our cups

for the fourth and last time.

So you have no religious inclinations whatsoever

These days?

Ever.

Ever?

Yeah. Oh when I was a kid, yeah.

Really?

Yeah, when I was a kid I bought into a lot of this stuff.

Remember that was before I was Bar Mitzvah’ed at age thirteen.

You know I thought that’s the way...

I’m told by my

parents and by the Sunday School people that

all these stories

and I thought, OK, that’s my...

uh...

well I shouldn’t say my tribe, but that’s the way my

the people I know closest all believe

and obviously that had to be the truth and all that stuff

and, uh...

yeah, I bought into that stuff

That, uh,

Judaism went back so many thousand years and this and that...

eh, but after a while

some of that didn’t make complete sense either.

OK?

You know, so...

I mean there are people who spend a lot of time, they are great religious scholars, they

want to understand all these little nuances about Judaism and things like that

and I figure, OK, fine.

Just don’t push it down my throat.

They hold up half the sky.

Woman

I can hardly express

My mixed emotions at my thoughtlessness

After all, I’m forever in your debt.

And woman,

I will try to express

my inner feeling, and thankfulness

for showing me the meaning of success

Oooh, oooh oooh oooh

well, well

doo-doo-doo-doo-dooo

Oooooohhh oooooh oooh ooooh oooh

well, well

Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo

Woman,

I know you understand

the little child inside the man

Please remember, my life is in your hands

And woman,

hold me close to your heart

however distant, don’t keep us apart

After all, it is written in the stars

Ooooooooooooh ooh oooh ooh ooh

well, well

doo-doo-doo-doo-dooo

OoooOooohh oOOh oooH oOh oooo

well, well

doo-doo-doo-dooo-dooo

Woman

please let me explain

I never meant to cause you sorrow or pain

So let me tell you

again and again and again

I love you

Yeah, yeah

Now and forever

I looooove yooooooouuu

Yeah, yeah

Now and forever

I looOOOOVVe yooooOOOOOoooouuu

yeah yeah

now and forever

I used to love Her

but I had to kill Her

I used to love Her

but I had to kill Her

Lying, cheating, hurting,

that’s all you seem to do

Messing around with every guy in town

putting me down for thinking of someone new

Always the same, playing your game

drives me insane, troubles gonna come to you

One of these days, and it won’t be long

you’ll look for me but, baby,

I’ll be gone.

This is all I’ve got to say to you woman:

Your time is gonna come

Your time is gonna come

Your time is gonna come

Your time is gonna come

Made up my mind

break you this time

won’t be so fine

it's my turn to cry

Do what you want, I won’t take the brunt

it’s fading away

can’t feel you any more

Don’t care what you say ‘cause I’m going away to stay

gonna make you pay for that

great big hole in my heart

People talking all around, watch out woman

no longer

is the joke gonna be on my heart

You’ve been bad to me, woman, but it’s coming back home to you

Your time is gonna come

Your time is gonna come

Your time is gonna come

Your time is gonna come

Your time is gonna come

bye-bye baby

Your time is gonna come

Now that the four cups of wine have been consumed,

the official ceremony is over.

But wait!

Our rejoicing has only begun!

It’s time for some rhythmic Hasidic melodies.

Rhythm, of course!

Rhythm has always been the very soul of Hasidic prayer!

It’s strange

I don’t know what it will be like for me tonight

I look at you as I did the first time.

More words,

always words

the same words

I don’t know how else to tell you

just words

You are that beautiful love story I will never stop reading

Easy words

fragile words

aren’t they pretty

You are the one of today and of tomorrow

Too pretty.

You are forever my only truth.

But the time for dreaming is over

memories also fade

when we forget them

You are the wind that makes violins sing,

and you carry the perfume of roses

Toffees, sweets, and chocolates

Sometimes I don’t understand you.

Thanks, not for me

give them to another

who likes the wind and the rose’s perfume

Tender, sugar-coated words

taste sweet on the lips

but not in my heart

one more word-

Words, words, words

Listen to me.

words, words, words

Please!

words, words, words

I swear to you!

words, words, words, words, words

words and more words

that you sow in the wind.

I more or less dropped out of Judaism

in my teenage years, early teenage years

And I really quit when I was in Wisconsin

and it was hard to fast for Yom Kippur

When I was a graduate student in Wisconsin and

all these things were more difficult and

I just said the hell with it.

What about the pressure

that you had?

Like, Bubbie Zelda was always wanting us to be

What?

Bar Mitzvah'ed and Bat Mitzvah'ed

Oh, she would have loved that

Well, she would have loved that.

But I wasn’t interested in that.

That’s very brave.

I know first-hand what it’s like to do something that your family’s not-

that your family doesn’t like.

Oh yeah? Like what?

Like dropping out of college

That was just stupidity on your part. It has nothing to do with religion.

There was no way we could prevent that.

I mean, I think you’ve made some mistakes in life, Nina

but we’re not here to talk about your mistakes

Unless you want me to talk about your mistakes

I mean, I put those all behind me years ago.

What?

You know how, I mean you look funny there but I

I still think a Bachelor’s Degree

from those days would have been of use to you.

Don’t you think that Bubbie Zelda would have said the same thing about

you know

having a Bat Mitzvah?

I dunno.

Too many broken hearts have fallen in the river

Too many lonely sighs have drifted out to sea

You lay your bets and then you pay the price

The things we do for love.

The things we do for love.

Communication is the problem to the answer

You’ve got her number and your hand is on the phone

The weather's turned and all the lines are down

The things we do for love.

The things we do for love.

Like walking in the rain and the snow

when there’s nowhere to go

When you’re feeling like a part of you is dying

And you’re looking for the answer in her eyes

You think you’re gonna break up,

then she says she wants to make up

Ooh, you make me love you

Ooh, you’ve gone away

Ooh, you have me crawling

up a wall

Like walking in the rain and the snow

when there’s nowhere to go

When you’re feeling like a part of you is dying

and you’re looking for the answer in her eyes

You think you’re gonna break up

then she says she wants to make up

Ooh, you make me love you

Ohh, you’ve gone away

Ohh, you have me crawling

up a wall

A compromise would surely help the situation

agree to disagree, but disagree to part

when after all, it’s just a compromise

of the things we do for love.

The things we do for love

The things we do for love

The things we do for love

The things we do for love

The things we do for love

The things we do for love

The things we do for love

The things we do for love

I think you gotta check your equipment.

I am checking my equipment-

This seems like a lot of fuss for-

No no, I’m just, uh, I’m just

I know but it seems like a lot of fuss if you

want to record people smoothly and things like that

Well you’re always adjusting this thing!

Oh, would you like me to stop adjusting?

The microphone’s sort of going into your neck.

That’s not bothering me one bit!

No no, but it’s uh, affecting the-

If a microphone is pushed up against something...

Oh you mean the sound quality.

Well, if you have a problem...

Well I can try to attach the microphone...

to another part of your gown...

I’ll bet that will be better.

OK

If you attach it so it keeps falling off

you know what the problem’s gonna be. Yeah.

God is male

He’s old, He’s white.

His beard is long,

His asshole’s tight.

He watches everything you do,

and then He throws the Book at you.

Mighty Father in the sky

Mighty chromosomes XY

Like the Sons of Israel

God’s a patriarchal male.

And now our concluding song:

Chad Gadya.

This is a folk song written especially for children.

That is, children from six to sixty!

It tells the story of a father

who bought a little goat

Although it also tells about a cat,

a dog,

and many other things

Listen well to this song because it really tells the entire story of the Jewish people

throughout their long history.

I think when it comes to our kids

we did a pretty good

we were very lucky

I mean, you didn’t follow everything I wanted you to do

Josh didn't

Liz didn’t, but...

And I think again when it come to financial success

and remember someday you’re gonna have to eat

and you know you need money to eat, Nina, and to live

and I hope that

in this lousy economy

you don’t suddenly find that you’re completely at sea.

Now, as long as your mother is alive

and we have the house, you’ll have a place to go

if it’s absolutely necessary

and we hope that doesn’t happen, but

at least you’ve got some degree of fallback

But, uh...

I would have been happier if you had been

more financially independent by now.

So anyway, you know, if you had had

if you had built up more money

in your bank account and stuff like that I think

I’d feel

I could rest more easily about you guys, but...

Since there’s nothing I can do about it, ah...

And you know my own life is coming to an end, one of these days soon

right here in Urbana, ah...

You know I just hope that things go well for you.

As I say, I’d feel a lot better if you had more security, but

that’s a Father’s job.

So anyway, what else?

Next year in Jerusalem!

This land

is mine.

God gave this land

to me!

This brave

and ancient land

to me!

And when the morning sun

reveals her hills and plains

then I see a land

where children can

run free

So take

my hand

and walk this land with me.

and walk this lovely land

with me.

Though I am just a man,

when you are by my side

with the help of God

I know I can be

strong!

Though I am just a man,

when you are by my side,

with the help of God

I know I can be strong!

To make this land our home,

if I must fight,

I’ll fight,

to make this land our own

Until I die,

This land is mine!

Give me that

old

time

religion

Hallelujah! Good enough for me.

Give me that old time religion

Looking for religion

Good religion how we used to be

Give me that old time religion, Lord

Hallelujah! Good enough for me.

Give me that old time religion

Looking for religion. Good religion that we used to be.

Give me that old time religion, Lord

Hallalujah! Good enough for me.

Oh, give me that old time religion

I’m looking for religion that we used to be

Give me that old time religion, Lord

Hallalujah! Good enough for me.

It was good enough for my Mother

Hallelujah!

It was good enough for my father

Hallelujah!

It will help me through my problems

Hallelujah! Good enough for me.

It was good enough for Paul and Silas

Hallelujah!

It was good for the Hebrew children

Hallelujah!

It will help you

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! Good enough for me.

And then you drink the wine.