Flory's Flame

<strong>FLORY'S FLAME</strong> is a joyous tribute to a standard-bearer of ancient Judeo-Spanish music, who has lovingly passed her rich Ladino heritage from former generations to the present.

Born in Sarajevo to a Sephardic musical family, diminutive octogenarian Flory Jagoda is an accomplished singer, composer and musician whose stirring voice and and soulful melodies harken back to the Jewish exile of 15th century Spain and Portugal. While most of her family perished in the Holocaust, Flory escaped to America as a war bride, devoting herself to the preservation and transmission of the language and songs inherited from her grandmother. These gifts are in turn instilled in her talented children, and shared with audiences worldwide. Recognized as a National Heritage Fellow, the nation's highest folk arts honor, Flory's notable career culminates in an extraordinary concert at the U.S. Library of Congress, highlights of which comprise much of the film. Performances are interlaced with Flory's own captivating account of her difficult but triumphant personnel narrative, as well as interviews with family members and collaborators.

<strong>FLORY'S FLAME</strong> testifies to one remarkable woman's near-single-handed mission to spread a cultural legacy through music.