“an incredible journey of discovery, insight, and rich history…a lasting thought of how reclaiming your identity is also reclaiming your soul”

- Film Threat

Children of the Inquisition is an extraordinary feature length documentary that re-examines history as it reveals the secrets of the families who were forced to convert or flee during the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions (1478-1834). These families’ stories are told by a diverse, multi-racial cast of their contemporary descendants, many of whom are just discovering their once very problematic Jewish roots. Their complex journeys across continents and oceans with ever-changing names and identities is masterfully described in the film by the leading historians of the Sephardic diaspora.

With a substantial record of audience engagement at festivals and community screenings the film has enlightened a wide range of viewers by spotlighting the surprising diversity of the Jewish diaspora. For instance, it is estimated that over 25% of the Latin American population carries Jewish DNA from colonists escaping the Inquisition. 

As today’s political dialogues increasingly center on differing understandings of where people come from and where they “belong,” Children of the Inquisition offers a new way of looking at and challenging these centuries-old ideas. The film is available for online streaming and for institutional screenings and panels.

Joseph Lovett, director, discusses his inspiration for the film.