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An indie dramedy about an atheist actress attempting to convert to Judaism to marry the man she loves. Starring: Genevieve Adams, Thomas McDonell, Hari Nef, Luke Forbes, Julie Halston, Gregg Bello and John Cullum–with Chip Zien. 

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SIMCHAS AND SORROWS: Agnes, a secular, free-spirited artist and former Catholic school girl, must come to terms with religion in order to marry Levi, the love of her life. Shocked by a surprise pregnancy, the earnest Agnes agrees to begin converting to Judaism in an effort to be accepted by Levi’s more conservative Jewish family. Learning to join the tribe and follow the herd proves no easy task for someone who has spent her whole life questioning, and then breaking, the rules. As Agnes and Levi study with the progressive and courageous Rabbi Cohen (Hari Nef, Transparent, You), they discover all is not what it appears to be on the surface. Family secrets come to light, and Agnes and Levi are forced to grapple with life’s big questions. The film explores an evolving, modern Judaism, orthodoxies and hypocrisy, sibling rivalry, modern love, mental illness, artistic inheritance, and anti-semitism.

What Critics are Saying...

Andrea ChaseKiller Movie Reviews
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"I loved the first scenes of Genevieve Adams’ SIMCHAS AND SORROWS so much that I worried what followed would have a hard time living up to it. [...] I needn’t have worried. writer/director Adams, who also plays Agnes as an adult, has crafted a sweet and sharp film about love, an unplanned pregnancy, and the self-discovery that comes with religious conversion."
Juan Manuel FabregasCocalecas
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“Adams gives a very good performance leading the issue, and it is clear that like many of the Woody and Greta Gerwig stories , the protagonist and the plot have a very intimate relationship with the director and actress. She is very well supported by Chip Zien, John Cullum and above all, Hari Nef as Rabbi Cohen, who steals the movie with her peculiar views on the Holocaust and Palestine, to give just two examples.”
Carey Ann PawseyOrca Sound
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“A film like this one … is going to be successful if it feels authentic. This one has that in spades. It always feels like you are watching a couple of your friends work through something. No unnecessary drama to be found here. Just young people dealing with all the questions that life throws at you.”
Randy MyersBay City News Foundation
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"As for a streaming option, give Genevieve Adams’ “Simchas and Sorrows” a go. The Next Wave Spotlight selection is already a festival fave and showcases the versatility of the talented Adams, who not only directs but writes and plays Agnes, an atheist who is being encouraged by others to convert to Judaism so she and her boyfriend (Thomas McDonell) can move forward with their relationship."
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