Yippee: A Journey to Jewish Joy (2006)

"Yippee!" chronicles the director Paul Mazursky's whirlwind journey to Uman, a small Ukrainian town that is the site of a unique, annual gathering of Jewish men making pilgrimages to the burial place of Rabbi Nachman (1772-1810). When Mazursky was told by his optometrist that 25,000--mostly Hasidic--Jews from around the world were expected to visit Uman for three days of praying, singing, and dancing, the director felt compelled to make the journey himself. Arriving in Ukraine with a small film crew, Mazursky experiences an amazing series of events. He meets and interviews a wide variety of Jewish men from many countries, sharing meals, laughs, and this unique experience. The director visits the graveside of Hasidic-movement founder Baal Shem Tov (Nachman's great-grandfather) and talks with Uman's non-Jews about their reactions to the annual massive influx of Hasidim. The adventure culminates on the evening of Rosh Hashanah in a mass expression of spiritual ecstasy. "Yippee!" is a road movie; Mazursky is a funny, curious, and generous guide.