top of page
FESTIVALS AND AWARDS
TORAH TROPICAL
Set in the lush and complex landscapes of Colombia, Torah Tropical offers an intimate look into a lesser-seen Jewish community navigating questions of faith, identity, and belonging far from traditional centers of Jewish life. Through a mosaic of personal stories, the film follows individuals and families as they seek connection to religious practice while negotiating the cultural rhythms of the tropics and the realities of contemporary Colombian society. Blending moments of ritual, everyday life, and personal reflection, the documentary reveals how spirituality adapts and transforms across geographies. As its subjects confront questions of tradition, conversion, and community, Torah Tropicalbecomes a meditation on what it means to inherit, choose, and live a faith in unexpected places—where identity is continuously reimagined and rooted in both memory and environment.
TORAH TROPICAL
Ambientada en los exuberantes y complejos paisajes de Colombia, “Torah Tropical” ofrece una mirada íntima a una comunidad judía poco visibilizada, que navega entre cuestiones de fe, identidad y pertenencia, lejos de los centros tradicionales de la vida judía. A través de un mosaico de historias personales, la película sigue a individuos y familias en su búsqueda de conexión con la práctica religiosa, al tiempo que lidian con los ritmos culturales del trópico y las realidades de la sociedad colombiana contemporánea. Al entrelazar momentos de ritual, vida cotidiana y reflexión personal, el documental revela cómo la espiritualidad se adapta y transforma a través de las geografías. A medida que sus protagonistas se enfrentan a interrogantes sobre la tradición, la conversión y la comunidad, “Torah Tropical” se convierte en una meditación sobre lo que significa heredar, elegir y vivir una fe en lugares inesperados, donde la identidad se reinventa continuamente y se arraiga tanto en la memoria como en el entorno.
About the Director
Jimmy Ferguson
Jimmy Ferguson is a multicultural, award-winning film artist with deep experience in all stages of production spanning fiction/narrative, documentary, commercials, and contemporary art. His narrative and documentary shorts have premiered at Mill Valley, DOC NYC, Maryland, Salento International, and Newport Beach Film Festivals. Jimmy’s honors include: LA Filmmaker of the Year (2008), a Jerome Foundation grant (2014), and a QCA Artist Commission (2019). He participated in IFP's Project Forum (2013) and EAVE’s Ties That Bind (2017). Jimmy won a CINDY Gold Award for his #NotAFan campaign against domestic violence (2017). Jimmy is a current member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective. Jimmy has a keen interest in contemporary spirituality, is fluent in Spanish, and is passionate about exploring Colombian narratives. Jimmy is also Torah Tropical’s director of photography.
Ezra Axelrod
Gloria Nancy Monsalve
Gloria Nancy Monsalve is a Colombian screenwriter and director whose career began in 1998 with the making-of documentary for Víctor Gaviria’s The Rose Seller. She has since collaborated closely with Gaviria and contributed as a writer to a wide range of Colombian films and television series. Her work has earned multiple awards across Latin America, including the India Catalina Award for Best Film. In recent years, she has established a creative partnership with Jimmy Ferguson, with whom she is developing the feature Ximena, centered on underground plastic surgery and sex work in Medellín.
bottom of page