The Floaters recently premiered at the Bentonville Film Festival, and its story offers an authentic summer experience centered around Judaism and outcasts. The movie follows a Jewish summer camp, with its plot shining a particularly bright spotlight on an unexpected group of outcasts called The Floaters; they are pulled together and put under the care and guidance of Jackie Tohn’s Nomi, a new temporary hire going through her own life turmoil.
Coinciding with its debut at the film festival, The Direct conducted a series of exclusive interviews with its cast to help explain their unique and touching film.
Seth Green, who plays a rich rival camp leader named Daniel, noted that he "definitely think[s] that [the movie] demonstrates an accurately diverse landscape of people who are Jewish." Co-star Nina Bloomgarden (who plays Lindsey, a young girl shunned by many in the camp) exclaimed how it "was really cool to get on set and everyone has a different background."
For star Tohn, what seemed to excite her the most about its portrayal of Judaism is how it's "just a fun story that happens to be happening with Jews" and that the story is "not getting mega deep and political."
Director Rachel Israel explained what she "wanted to see in a film about Jewish community [was] diversity in every way, and diversity of thought and background." She added that in her experience as a Jew, "there's no one way of being a Jew."
The complete list of talent that The Direct spoke with includes Jackie Tohn (Nomi), Seth Green (Daniel), Judah Lewis (Jonah), Nina Bloomgarden (Lindsey), Sarah Podemski (Mara), and director Rachel Israel. While The Floaters premiered at the Bentonville Film Festival on June 18 to audiences in Arkansas, it does not currently have a release window.
How The Floaters Explores Judaism in a Unique & Refreshing Way
"It Demonstrates an Accurately Diverse Landscape of People That Are Jewish."
- The Direct: "Another strong point of the film is how it handles, expresses, and explores Judaism. In your mind, how would you say that this movie does all that you know in unique and engaging ways?"
Jackie Tohn: I love it. I just think it's a really unique experience. We're at the Bentonville film festival right now, doing our world premiere, and the woman doing our Q&A last night, she put it so succinctly, I honestly wish I recorded it. I was like, oh, I need to remember that. Basically, it's a fun, uplifting, loving camp experience through this Jewish lens. So, if you went to camp, you're going to feel it, you're going to relate to it, even if you didn't.
It's a summer camp movie, like, you love 'Meatballs' and 'White Hot American Summer' and all these other camp movies, whether you went to camp or not. And I think this woman who was doing the interview isn't from a Jewish background and doesn't know anything about a lot of the things we were talking about in the movie. And she was like, it was so relatable and fun to watch.
But also I was learning all these like, oh, they do that. That's interesting. They can't mix the milk and the meat and the whole thing. And so I think we're touching on [how] it's a Jewish experience, and we're touching on so many of these wonderful, fun Jewish rituals. But also, it's ultimately similar to 'Nobody Wants This.' It's a movie for everyone. It's a really fun watch, but it's happening in a Jewish space...
And Sarah said this last night, and I'll now steal it, but it's like, so much Jewish content is about how we're the underdogs, and we're being targeted, which, of course, unfortunately, is factually true. And so it's these World War II stories, these Holocaust stories, and these Jewish perseverance stories. And this is just a fun story that happens to be happening with Jews... We're not getting mega deep and political. It's a fun, delicious, let your freak flag fly story at a Jewish summer camp.
Seth Green: Gosh, I hadn't really thought about that. I definitely think that it demonstrates an accurately diverse landscape of people who are Jewish, and I don't know, a lot of propaganda is just so heavy-handed that it's offensive, right? And the actual historical tenets or rituals of Judaism are not, though, just showing things in a matter-of-fact way that they exist, I think, is a triumph in itself, right?
So, letting things not feel like, this is the moment where we're showing you the sacred ritual, like, Yeah, this is how it happens, guys, we're gonna light these candles, we're gonna save this stuff that everyone's gonna eat and drink. That's it. You know? This is what it serves. It serves to bring this together and to take a moment to think about what's happening before it happens.
I think the film does a really good job of displaying that in ways that I don't think are going to be off-putting, instead of just sort of a matter-of-fact acknowledgement that this is the reality for these people.
Nina Bloomgarden: I mean, it was really cool to get on set and everyone has a different background [who have] grown up in like, different homes, some more secular, some more spiritual, religious, like, that was really cool. I'm half Jewish and half Guatemalan, so I got to meet a lot of people with similar backgrounds to me, which is like, there aren't many of us out in the wild. We're there, but like, we're always missing each other.
So, getting to talk to people who feel similar to me, where we're like, we don't really fit in this group. We don't really fit in that group. Like we're constantly slightly on the outside of stuff, was really healing and really nice and fun to be around.
Sarah Podemski: Something that's interesting, as an indigenous actress and a Jewish actress, I find that the more specific you are with the storytelling, the wider reach that you have. So, this is kind of the first film that I've seen that has such a specific view on Jewish summer camp, and the kind of politics, and that experience, and that's really unique to this film.
And then also just having so many Jews on screen... It's not often, and I deal with this same issue within the Native community, too. It's just, sometimes there's, like, one Jewish character or two Jewish characters... but this is incredible to just see a full cast of Jewish actors from so many generations... Like, we have OGs, you know, like Steve Kuhnberg and Seth Green, and then we have Jackie [Tohn] Aya [Cash]and this incredible cast of new young actors. And so it's really cool to see that generational storytelling.
I remember asking Steve a few questions and being like, wow, you've been in this industry so long as a Jewish performer with like, such a Jewish name. It's so amazing to be able to see the longevity of a career, and to see the uniqueness of including actors and including people who kind of paved the way, and then have this new generation of actors too. I think that's really unique. I think that there are some really special things about this film, and that's definitely one of them.
Rachel Israel: I mean to me, what I wanted to see in a film about the Jewish community [was] diversity in every way, and diversity of thought and background. And because, to me, my experience as a Jew is that there's no one way of being a Jew. And in fact, if anything, we're defined more by our differences, by our differences in ability to hash out differences with each other, there's zero uniformity in the Jewish world.
Being an Outcast & What That Means to Everyone's Characters
Every Character in 'The Floaters' Relates to Being an Outcast, Even Those You Don't Expect
In The Floaters, Jackie Tohn plays Nomi, a woman in the midst of a messy breakup with her rock band who is roped into helping out at Camp Daveed by her best friend Mara.
Tohn exclaimed to The Direct how Nomi is an outcast, with her overall story in the movie making it a point to teach her that "It's cool to be an outsider:"
Jackie Tohn: Nomi is an outcast, but she's like a little bit–I think when you become a grown-up, this definitely happened to me, you sort of choose to be an outcast. When you're a kid, you're like, I gotta be part of the norm, and it feels so bad sometimes. I mean, that was my experience. I was clearly outside the norm as a kid, and it didn't feel bad, but I was like, Oh, I could tell this is weird
And everyone was trying to be sort of this one homogenized thing that I not only didn't really want to be a part of but couldn't if I tried, and then, as a grown-up, you're like, Oh, I have a choice to make. I can be who I am. I don't have to do the same thing that everybody else is doing. And I think Nomi then takes it 50 to 100 paces further and is like, I'm gonna be weird. I was like that in my in my 20s. I was like, I'm making a point. And now I'm in my 40s, and I'm like, Okay, the pendulum swung from like, super freak to trying to be normal. And now I'm like, Okay, well, this is just who I am. I've landed here.
So, the long winded answer to your question is, Nomi is sort of, in her bones, an outsider, and I think the journey that she goes on in the movie really teaches her that it's cool to be an outsider, but really more importantly, it's cool to be who you are. And if that person is like a little bit letting their freak flag fly. Then, like, cool. That's sort of what it is.
The actress explained how Nomi is "the perfect gal for the job" when it comes to pulling together the group of outcasts at the camp known as The Floaters:
Tohn: She's the perfect gal for the job, whether she likes it or not. Because I think there's this moment on the first day she gets there, where she's like, I don't know. What happens here? What does the normal person—And they start telling her about Meisner exercises and Juilliard-trained actors and repeating things back. She's like, no. And then she sort of starts suggesting to them something they might do. And she's like, I'm the authority figure. Okay?
And then she realizes, like, oh, wait a minute, I'm the grown-up here. I need to step up and sort of without—there's a quick beat where she's like, oh God. And then she just falls right into it. And she's like, here's what we're going to do, here's the assignment, here's what I'd like you guys to bring back. And these exercises we're going to do are all about finding your voice, and let's all be freak artists together, and she sees herself in them and them and her and so forth.
The Direct's full interview with Jackie Tohn can be seen below:
Seth Green's Daniel, the leader of rival Camp Barak, is an outcast due to how he acts. Green explains he is aggressively degrading everyone, and that Daniel is ''somebody who solicits whatever the mainest of mainstream:"
Seth Green: He does feel to me like somebody who solicits whatever the mainest of mainstream, and so he would absolutely think of himself as someone who's in the know and amongst friends. But I think a lot of that position is really achieved by him, by how aggressively he degrades everyone, literally everything he says...
The actor added that he feels Daniel is "one of those people who doesn't really feel human emotion:"
Green: I think he's one of those people who doesn't really feel human emotion. You know what I mean? Like, I've known people who are obsessed with money and station and they genuinely don't seem to be able to relate to those instincts of wanting to love or being able to like, give or receive love, right?...
Seth Green's entire discussion with The Direct can be seen below:
Nina Bloomgarden plays Lindsey, a young girl shunned by many at the camp because they believe she tattled on a camp counselor years ago and got her fired. In turn, this makes her the definition of an outcast.
Bloomgarden admitted that she "related to a lot of what [Lindsey] was going through at that age:"
Nina Bloomgarden: I think when I read this script, I related to a lot of what she was going through at that age and before I yeah, I just feel like you reach a certain age and your friends kind of comes a point where you're either going to follow your friends from childhood, or you're going to kind of break off into your own thing. It's really painful, and it's growing pains. But yeah, I related to that quite a bit, and wanted to kind of dive into that with how she's an outcast...
Despite not being loved by the masses at Camp Daveed, Lindsey still shows up every year. That's because, even though the situation is complicated, she still feels like it's her "safe space:"
Bloomgarden: I think it's hard when you lose your footing and your grounding and people. But what I admire about her is that she doesn't lose her safe space, in a sense. I think she views this camp as a safety to her, even if it's not feeling like that right now, and like she's not giving up, per se. She's not like staying home for the summer and going into herself. She wants to step out. She wants to remedy what happened or just kind of be in the face of it. And she's not afraid of that. She's super brave. And I think it's really important to not give up on the things that you really feel strong about...
Nina Gardenbloom's full interview with The Direct can be seen below:
Mara is Camp Daveed's leader. She is played by Sarah Podemski, who describes the character as "a people pleaser," something that is "like a different way of manifesting being an outcast:"
Sarah Podemski: I think Mara is a people pleaser, and it's kind of like a different way of manifesting being an outcast, is trying to kind of control and micromanage everything. So, I feel like, even though she may not obviously seem like an outcast, I think she's really trying to live up to her family's legacy and make them proud. And maybe sometimes she has a little bit of impostor syndrome of not doing a great job with it. So, yeah, it's interesting, because I guess it manifests in people in different ways.
Podemski said that Mara "takes on the weight of the world" as she is one of those important members of society who are "upholding our communities:"
Podemski: I was a camp counselor at a Jewish summer camp, and it was also falling apart. And so, you're responsible for these children's lives and their safety and their [well-being are] number one importance, which you can kind of see in the opening that she's balancing this.
And then there's the weight of the legacy and the responsibility, and the cultural connection and the religious connection and keeping the community thriving and inspiring these children at the same time. So it is a lot...
This isn't just like an anxious character who has no reason. There's a lot on her shoulders. She takes on the weight of the world. And we know a lot of people like that. They're upholding our communities. And, it's a lot of work, especially these days.
Watch the full interview with The Direct and The Floater's Sarah Podemski below:
Judah Lewis thinks his character of Jonah "fits right into" the idea of being an outcast, something he credits to him behind "slightly cynical" and "maybe a little jaded:"
Judah Lewis: I think the character of Jonah fits right into that, right? I think he comes into this film slightly cynical, maybe a little jaded. And I think it's through this community, through the help of these other characters that are around him, that he finds his voice. And so I think it's really about the strength of that kind of support system.
One unique aspect of Jonah is that he's much better at standing up to bullies than others in their group of misfits—albeit, he's still not perfect by any means. Lewis thinks it's because he "has some bravado" and that Jonah has "a lot of walls" that have been "built up for himself as protection:"
Lewis: I think because he has some bravado, and I think he also has a lot of walls that he's kind of built up for himself as protection. And I think that we see in this film those used for good in the case of standing up to bullies, and also used in maybe not so great ways in the case where people are actually trying to connect with him, and he, at least towards the beginning, is unable to do that.
The Floaters director Rachel Israel further opened up about the thematic core of the movie and how she wanted this unexpected group to build a strong community:
Rachel Israel: A central theme of the film is about community and definitely about, you know, when we're looking at The Floaters, this is a group of self-selected misfits. And so, as different as they are from their community, they are even more different from each other. And so, I hope that people take away questioning of, how can such a group, who are the strongest individuals, also become community together? Not always easy to do.
The entire discussion with both Judah Lewis and Rachel Israel can be enjoyed below:
