Synopsis
Bungalow #2 is a joyous and heartfelt exploration of the Borscht Bett bungalow colonies – a self-made haven born from necessity and exclusion. It’s the story of how Jewish immigrants built a unique summer world, balancing assimilation with fiercely preserved cultural identity.
This film is a celebration of simple pleasures, deep human connection, and the distinctive Yiddish wit that spilled from these bungalows onto stages across America. In this distinct matriarchal society, women and children spent entire summers in the Catskills, white men joined on weekends, fostering a sense of community and independence.
Key Personnel
Ronni Lieberman, Director/Producer
Projects currently in development include Careful What You Wish For and The Inn Spot, a TV musical comedy about a gay power couple who turn a dilapidated country inn into a cabaret and transform a small rural town in the process. For Equity Fights Aids, Ronni produced a stage reading of Don’t Grab the Gown Until You See the Gurney at New York Theater Workshop. She is associate producer of the indie film Spin the Bottle. Ronni is an actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA.
Bronwyn Berry, Producer
An award-winning documentary producer and director, Bronwyn leads the development and production of unscripted content through her company, Storyboard Studios. Her credits range from archival biographies to character-driven docu-series and rock docs for HBO, CNN, PBS, Travel Channel, Discovery Family, Sesame Workshop, and Africa Channel. Her feature documentaries include Breakdown in Maine, After the Bite, Love Gilda (with Amy Poehler, Melissa McCarthy and Bill Hader) and Heart & Soul. She is a member of the Producers’ Guild (PGA), the WGA and a member of the Television Academy.
Derek Hallquist, Cinematographer.
After his debut footage aired on WCAX when he was 14 years old, Hallquist committed his life to filmmaking. He began his professional career as a camera operator for numerous television shows on networks such as The Discovery, Travel and TLC. Derek was quickly scooped up by filmmaker Eugene Jarecki to work on his films. Derek shot Freakonomics, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2010 and screened at Sundance in 2011. Derek was responsible for The House I Live In, winner of the 2012 Grand Jury Prize for US Documentary. He is currently working on Power to the People, his own documentary on the subject of energy and politics.
