Alan Zweig looks back on decades of filmmaking—and ahead to his pessimistic new podcast

Ralph Benmergui reconnects with an old friend to talk comedy, mortality, and making documentaries.
Ralph Benmergui and Alan Zweig
Ralph Benmergui, left, has known filmmaker Alan Zweig for decades—and reconnected at Zweig's home on April 8, 2024, to discuss Zweig's newest project and remember old times. (Photo by Zac Kauffman)

Alan Zweig was on the road to becoming, like so many other midtown Toronto Jews, a lawyer. Instead, in his early 20s, he zigzagged off the course and wound up taking multiple lengthy trips to India, changing his perspective on life and work. He chose film school instead, propelling him into a decades-long documentary career that began all those years ago with semi-verité shorts made with his friends.

One of those friends was Ralph Benmergui. Now, ages after they first met, the pair reconnects to reflect on their shared origin story, spiritual journeys across the world, impending mortality and the next stage in both their careers: podcasting. Zweig will host a new one on the Canadaland network called The Worst, while Benmergui of course hosts his longstanding program, Not That Kind of Rabbi, here at The CJN.

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Credits

Not That Kind of Rabbi is hosted by Ralph Benmergui and produced by Michael Fraiman. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To support The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt, please consider a monthly donation by clicking here.

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