Children of the Inquisition

About the Film:
“Children of the Inquisition” is a fascinating reconsideration of history and identity as it unearths the long hidden secrets of what happened to the people forced to convert or flee during the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions. Their stories are told through contemporary descendants, many of whom are just now discovering their once problematic Jewish roots.

 “Children of the Inquisition” takes us on a journey unearthing 500 years of diaspora and hidden history. Through their discoveries of their families’ flights to safety, our characters come to understand how their ancestors shaped history and how their perilous history shaped their identities.

 After 6 years of shooting in 12 cities spanning 4 continents, “Children of the Inquisition” is more than just a film. It’s an opportunity to better understand our complex world and identities. At this time of unprecedented divisiveness, “Children of the Inquisition” shows how much commonality we share.

About the Speaker:
Dr. David Gitlitz, emeritus professor of Hispanic Studies at the University of Rhode Island, lives in Santa Cruz Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico. His most recent book is “Living in Silverado: Crypto-Jews in the Silver Mining Towns of Colonial Mexico” from University of New Mexico Press. Dr. Gitlitz is an educator, administrator, and professor of Spanish whose academic interests include the Golden Age of Spanish literature, Spanish-Jewish history, and pilgrimages. He is also the author or co-author of several books on Hispanic literature, Sephardic history, and pilgrimage. He has spent countless hours scouring Inquisition documents from Spain, Portugal, and their American colonies, focusing on the Iberian Jews’ changes in practices and beliefs in response to their forced assimilation into Catholicism. In the process, he provides numerous accounts given by the Jews, which were recorded during the Inquisitions in Spain, Portugal, and the New World.