Documenting Jewish tradition in the Bay Area

Around is a documentary about 15 Challah bakers from the San Francisco Bay Area. The film explores why people make time to bake Challah and what the tradition means in their lives. Their stories show how a weekly ritual brings people together.

The project grew from a personal gift for a Bat Mitzvah into a documentary about how people connect through food, identity and tradition. Blackappl Inc. produced the film. It was co directed by Dominika Blackappl and Design 86 founder Michal Sloboda. They worked on the project from research and production through editing and postproduction.

Michal handled the filming logistics and camerawork, edited the film, and created the visual effects. The VFX used slow motion footage of flour against a black background. The footage illustrated parts of the film where Rabbi Yeshaia Charles Familant explains the meaning of the Shabbat rituals.

Design 86 also designed the film poster and promotional materials. The documentary premiered on Mother's Day 2019 and later screened at film festivals.