The Day before Creation

The Day Before Creation starts with one 'small' question on the first line of Genesis, and opens door after door — from the origins of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet Letters to the birth of the entire Cosmos. Malkah is just a little kid when her father tries to teach her to read Torah. But they don't get very far. As Malkah reads aloud, her questions multiply. They take her on a lifelong journey deeper and deeper into Jewish mystical texts, far off places, encounters with ancient gods, and ultimately into the nature of existence itself. Malkah discovers an earlier, hidden creation story right inside the one offered on the surface of Genesis.

 

This animated short film takes us on a journey that explores sacred text, legends and mythology, science, and archaeology before being able to return to the question at hand.

Written, directed, and produced by Mira Amiras. Illustrations and calligraphy by Josh Baum. Animation by Sam Baum and Baum Studios with Mike Jennings as animation producer. Music by Yair Dalal and Dror Sinai. Sound Design by Jeremiah Moore.

Praise for The Day before Creation

"Both visually captivating and profoundly stirring, The Day before Creation perfectly captures the woman’s journey—the quest of those who discover that the teachings of the fathers, wise and precious as they may be, are not enough. We follow Malkah, the young female mystic, as she leaves her father’s library, seeking far and wide— encountering new and unexpected teachings, uncovering the layered truths that the ancient Sages alone cannot teach her, and discovering the secrets within the Hebrew Aleph-Bet letters. You will come away from this gem of a film asking questions you have never thought to ask and perhaps starting to seek in places you had never thought to enter."

Natalie Reid | author of The Spiritual Alchemist: Working with the Voice of your Soul