Cut off from his loved ones due to the pandemic lockdown, a quadriplegic rabbi in a long-term-care facility is filmed remotely by his daughter. Offering powerful meditations on love and hope, Perfecting the Art of Longing shows us what it means to be alive in a state of profound isolation.

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“You perfect the art of longing by knowing where your soul is intended to be,” says Rabbi Cahana in Perfecting the Art of Longing, acclaimed filmmaker Kitra Cahana’s powerful collaboration with her father.

In 2011, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana suffered a devastating brainstem stroke that left him “locked in,” only able to communicate through the blinking of his eyes. In the years that followed, the beloved poet and community leader regained some power of speech but remained paralyzed, requiring round-the-clock assistance at a long-term-care facility in Montreal, Quebec. When the pandemic lockdown hit, he found himself completely isolated and cut off from his loved ones, connecting only through screens.

Using footage from security cameras, video calls and home-video archives, this experimental short film leads us on a journey through memory, family and faith, exploring the nature of connection and distance. A philosophical film unlike any other, it’s a tribute to the human spirit and a reflection on longing itself.

In 2011, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana suffered a devastating brainstem stroke that left him “locked in,” only able to communicate through the blinking of his eyes. In the years that followed, the beloved poet and community leader regained some power of speech but remained paralyzed, requiring round-the-clock assistance at a long-term-care facility in Montreal, Quebec.

When COVID-19 infects hundreds throughout the home in 2020, more than 70 of his fellow residents die. Completely isolated due to a total lockdown, Rabbi Cahana has a desire to live that transcends the constant threat of illness. His meditations on spirituality create a lifeline for himself and his family as they reach for each other through computer screens.

“You perfect the art of longing by knowing where your soul is intended to be,” says Rabbi Cahana, whose lyrical voice leads us on a journey through memory, family and faith. Eliciting grace and dignity, Cahana’s perspective on the world brings the audience to the core of what it means to be alive, though his love and humanity come from the periphery of human experience, in a state of profound isolation.

Using footage from security cameras, as well as video-call footage and home-video archives, Perfecting the Art of Longing is acclaimed filmmaker Kitra Cahana’s powerful collaboration with her father. Together, they explore the nature of connection and distance. A philosophical film unlike any other, it’s a tribute to the human spirit, a poem of memory and hope, and a reflection on longing itself.