In Nathan-ism, filmmaker Elan Golod does two things at once. He introduces audiences to WWII veteran and bespoke cartoonist Nathan Hilu while simultaneously commenting on the juxtaposition between the impermanence of life and the everlasting nature of art. Nathan is well into his 90s but that doesn’t slow him down in the slightest, in fact, quite the contrary in fact. He is determined to present his memory on paper and continue creating pieces of art that reflect the monumental moments in his life. Through his own words and pictures, Nathan shares intimate moments of history that otherwise may have been lost to time.
Putting marker to paper, Nathan tells the film’s director that he still doesn’t consider himself an artist but more of a “memory man” who illustrates his recollections from decades prior. The son of Syrian Jewish immigrants, Nathan recalls the moment his life changed forever. In the mid-1940s, at the end of WWII, he received an assignment from the U.S. Army to guard top Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials. This experience would serve as the catalyst for Nathan’s art as he therapeutically recounts the tragic events using crayons and markers.
The colorful output on the pages stands in stark contrast to what is being depicted; hangings, death, and heartbreak fill up the corners of his sketchbook. “Every soldier has memories,” Nathan reminds us, as he sits in his recliner, doodling with his sun-spotted and wrinkled hands that embody his astute wisdom and life experience. The art world took notice of Nathan’s works and story, leading to gallery runs and a retrospective exhibit at the Hebrew Union College Museum.
Urgency is the subtext of Nathan-ism. Despite his age, the sentiment rings true for all of us that it’s never too late. Nathan has a very storied life, one which Elan tells in vivid detail that compliments the cartoonist’s eccentric personality. Composer Christopher Bowen’s score is whimsical and bright, painting the film in an overall optimistic light. Also attached as Executive Producer is the Emmy Award-winning Caryn Capotosto, whose recent documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor won an Independent Spirit Award (2019) for Best Documentary, a Producers Guild Award (2019), and a Critics’ Choice Award (2018) for Best Documentary.
In art, there are many types of “-isms”: modernism, surrealism, impressionism, etc. Adding to this list, “Nathan-ism” stands for authenticity and reflection. Running at a brisk 79 minutes, Nathan-ism is a feel-good documentary that offers audiences the opportunity for self-reflection about the moments in their lives that could lead to meaningful works of art.
While Nathan died in 2019, his art and stories will live on forever.
