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Logline

Two elderly strangers in a nursing home find solace and heartbreak in an unexpected connection, as they navigate the fragile balance between love and loneliness in the twilight of their lives.

Synopsis

When Robert Met Judith tells the story of Robert, an elderly man who has settled into a lonely yet familiar routine at a nursing home. His days are spent in a cycle of eating, sleeping, and watching TV. He has made peace with his solitude—until Judith, a fellow resident, takes an interest in him.

Judith is different from Robert. She is not content with being alone and persistently tries to break through Robert’s shell. She shares candy with him, watches TV by his side, and openly expresses her affection. At first, Robert keeps his distance. But gradually, he begins to reciprocate in small, tentative ways. For a brief time, they share a fragile companionship that brightens their days.

However, when Judith’s feelings grow too intense, Robert withdraws, leaving her heartbroken. This story delicately explores the complexities of human connection, the pain of rejection, and the bittersweet moments of companionship in the twilight of life. Both characters are left to grapple with their choices and the emotional consequences that follow.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Yaniv Rokah — Director
Yaniv Rokah is a Manhattan-based filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with Queen Mimi, a documentary about an elderly homeless woman in Los Angeles, featuring appearances by Renee Zellweger and Zach Galifianakis. The film won Best Documentary at multiple film festivals and Best Director at the St. Tropez Film Festival and landed a global distribution deal with Netflix. Yaniv’s narrative short film, Black Hat, won several awards including the Iris Prize, Best Film at Cannes’ American Pavilion, and Jury Award at The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. It was also an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival. He is currently working on a documentary about an inspiring 89-year-old holocaust survivor with a mission to bring tolerance and understanding to a younger generation and a will to combat hatred and misinformation on social media, the film is co-produced by Access Media of the Academy Award wining film, The Zone of Interest.

Yechezkel-Zach Greenberger — Writer
Yechezkel-Zach Greenberger is a playwright, filmmaker, and improviser based in Brooklyn, NY. His debut stageplay The Mashuganas (semi-finalist 2024 O’Neill NPC) is set in the ultra-Orthodox “yeshivish” community of Lakewood, NJ – which is also where he grew up. Most of his education was strictly religious and it was only after he left the community that he got any formal literary training (Professor Michele Cooper was the first person who told him he should keep writing, and he’ll never forget her). His play This Is My Covenant was recently read off- Broadway at The Actors Temple and his short play When Robert Met Judith was read at the AMT Theater Summer Reading Festival. When he’s not writing, Zach creates absurd short films, doing improv, and photographing artists at his home photo studio in Brooklyn.

Christine Sheaks — Producer/Casting Director
Christine Sheaks’ career was jettisoned by casting Paul Thomas Anderson’s first two feature films: Hard Eight and Boogie Nights. Christine won the Casting Society Award for Boogie Nights and Oscar nominations followed for Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore and Paul Thomas Anderson. The film became a spotlight for some of the most talented actors of a generation. After casting Fox’s A Walk In The Clouds with Keanu Reeves, Christine had the honor to work with the king of Independent film, Kevin Smith, when she cast Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back. She forayed into Scary Movie (where she discovered Anna Faris). She was then at Warner Bros. where she cast the $100M movie, Deep Blue Sea, Thirteen Ghosts for Joel Silver and Welcome to Collinwood for George Clooney. Following in her mentor John Lyon’s footsteps, she helped set up the Indie Cult film, Thursday (Aaron Eckhart and Thomas Jane) for which she received her first producing credit and second nomination for a C.S.A. award. She is currently producing a ground breaking audio film, adapted from one of Max Allan Collin’s award winning.

Jerald J. Silverhardt — Executive Producer
Jerald J. Silverhardt is a seasoned talent manager with over forty-three years of experience. He started his career as an agent at Sol Hurok Presents, working with iconic artists like Leontyne Price, and later transitioned to Bantam Books, representing authors such as Truman Capote and Rod Serling. Jerry has managed Tony Award winner Melba Moore and produced network shows like Marker for UPN with Stephen J. Cannell. He currently represents actors, directors, writers, dancers, and choreographers. Jerry has launched the careers of stars like Tom Cruise and Dylan McDermott. His producer credits include TV movies like Born To Run (directed by Albert Magnoli, director writer of Purple Rain) and Ultimate Deception (starring Yasmine Bleeth and Richard Grieco). He also produced All The Right Moves, a dance show with Travis Wall. Some of his clients include Brendan Wayne (The Mandalorian) and Isaac Rossi (That’s Amor). His clients have appeared in major TV shows and films like This Is Us, Grey’s Anatomy, and Crash, and performed at events like “The Oscars” and “The Grammy’s.” He recently wrapped Executive Producing the short film AB_Invito directed/written by Mike Tauber starring Brendan Wayne.

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Contact

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