By Stephen Silver
The movie now known as “The Golden Voice” had its world premiere at the Philadelphia Film Festival on Oct. 23, 2022, which happened to be the same night the Phillies clinched a spot in the World Series.
“We first premiered the film as a work in progress, screening for friends and family at the Philadelphia Film Festival,” the film’s writer and director, Brandon Eric Kamin, told the Exponent in an interview last week. “Only challenge was that on the night of the screening, Broad Street had a celebratory shut down because of the Phillies, so unfortunately our entire contingent of support in the suburbs couldn’t make it into town. But we still had a phenomenal night — even Nick [Nolte] flew in from LA to be there.”
Nearly two and a half years later, and just weeks after another Philadelphia sports championship, the film is finally in theaters in 10 cities. Known as “Rittenhouse Square” when it was shown in 2022, the film is in the midst of a theatrical run, which included Q&A sessions last weekend with Kamin at the PFS Bourse theater, where it’s playing through March 6. It’s also available on the streaming platforms Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
In the time in between, Kamin tinkered with the film, while also making it shorter, and it ultimately gained a distribution deal from Vertical Releasing, which includes a theatrical release. The film will also be released in several foreign countries.
“The Golden Voice,” shot in Philadelphia over 18 days in the fall of 2021, stars Dharon Jones as KJ, a young man with the gift of a great singing voice who is living on the streets after a fight with his mother. In Rittenhouse Square one night, he runs into Barry (Nolte), a homeless, alcoholic Vietnam veteran. The two strike up an unlikely friendship, as Barry encourages KJ’s musical ambitions while KJ encourages his new friend to come to terms with his tragic past.
Kamin is a native of Havertown and grew up in the local Jewish community.
“I was a JCC kid. It was my place of refuge. Preschool, camp, first job — you name it. As a big fan of basketball, I loved hearing all the legendary Kobe [Bryant] stories the staff would share. My mom was a teacher there for a long time as well,” he said.
“I went to Main Line Reform [Temple], where I also had my bar mitzvah. Probably the most profound Jewish experience I had growing up was representing USA Volleyball in the 2005 Maccabiah Games in Israel (we earned a bronze medal). I went to Israel a few other times, which included a trip with the Jewish Student Leadership Program when I was 22, a commercial project for El Al Airlines, and then again with the incredible local organization Chevra.
“The Chevra was a big part of my 20s, which is steered by community icon Jon Erlbaum,” Kamin said. “I must have spent 20 to 30 Shabbos dinners at his home, along with another 20 to 30 between his brothers’ homes, Marc and Daniel. They were all instrumental in my sense of connection with Judaism. Growing up with a single mother, I’ve always gravitated towards fatherly/brotherly relationships. My older brother, Jay, is also very active in the Jewish community. He’s way more religious than I am, but I’ll tell you what, his passion for our community and religion is wonderfully infectious to be around.”
Kamin added that he once won a Challah-eating contest at MLRT for the six-year-old division, even though he was only three at the time, and today he plays in the local Jewish softball and basketball leagues. “I can crush a whole loaf of challah in under 60 … start the clock,” he said.
The filmmaker has had an eclectic professional career, consisting of everything from working as a WIP intern to a stint working for the Philadelphia Soul to some video work on the bar mitzvah circuit. His directorial debut was 2019’s “The Nomads,” the fact-based, Philly-set story of a rugby team. His production company, Bear Bear Productions, encompasses both his movies and commercial work, including for brands like Under Armour, Uber, GoPuff, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Eagles.
“I have a couple of irons in the fire,” Kamin said of what he has planned next.
Kamin, who still lives in Philadelphia, was mentored in his youth by longtime WIP host Glen Macnow, who brought him as an intern at the radio station. Macnow, who is also Jewish, plays a small part in the film. Shortly before he retired from WIP last year, Macnow appeared in a Players Club of Swarthmore production of “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
Andrew Greenblatt, executive director of the Philadelphia Film Society, is a producer of “The Golden Voice.”
“The Golden Voice,” while not an explicitly Jewish story, does have a couple of Jewish touches. It’s established that Barry’s late wife was Jewish and that the two were married in an old synagogue in France. Also, a necklace comes into play that the wife’s father had hidden during the Holocaust. Some elements are inspired by the filmmaker’s own life.
“‘The Golden Voice’ is an ode to my father, who left when I was young, and a love letter to Philadelphia,’ he said.
Stephen Silver is a Broomall-based freelance writer.