Catalogue of Noses is a short musical comedy illustrating the sacrifices that Jewish women make in order to assimilate and succeed in life.

The film centers on Emily (Jemma Handler), a 16-year-old Jewish actress facing a pivotal decision: a rhinoplasty. On the day of her surgery, she confronts her mother, Debbie (Lori Alan), and Jewish plastic surgeon Dr. Marcus Pearlman (Michael Kostroff). What seems like a simple cosmetic procedure quickly becomes an emotional journey, forcing Emily to confront the unsettling truths that come with assimilation and its consequences.

Catalogue of Noses is a 12-minute short inspired by writer-producer Lauren Schaffel’s own experiences growing up as a child actor in Hollywood and getting a nose job at 16. Schaffel had auditioned for roles only to learn that her nose contributed to not getting various parts. If the music in the short feels familiar, that’s because all the songs are clever parodies of classic Fiddler on the Roof tunes. The film’s commentary on assimilation and Jewish identity resonates even more against Hollywood’s long history of misrepresentation.

Catalogue of Noses couldn’t have come at a better time. Jews have been portrayed harmfully in media going back to the days of William Shakespeare. Authors like Charles Dickens didn’t do us any favors either, with caricatures and stereotypes that have persisted for centuries.
Hollywood has continued this tradition, often casting non-Jewish actors to portray Jewish characters. Films like Blue Moon are among the most recent examples joining this long-running canon. The irony is that all of this comes as Hollywood has been pushing for authentic representation in film—well, for everyone but the Jews. Apparently, Jews don’t count.

Schaffel herself is fighting against this tradition. As she says in her writer’s statement:

“I wrote Catalogue of Noses to combat ‘Jewface’—the harmful, inauthentic portrayal of Jews in entertainment including the stereotypes of a large nose prosthetic and an affected Yiddish accent.”

Real-life examples underline why this issue matters. During the press tour for The Brutalist, Adrien Brody revealed that a makeup artist tried to pull his nose off, thinking it was a prosthetic—a striking example of the harm caused by films like Maestro, where non-Jewish actor Bradley Cooper portrayed Jewish conductor Leonard Bernstein. Sarah Silverman popularized the term “Jewface” a few years ago. If you think it’s offensive, consider the message such projects send to Jews—let alone to young Jewish actors hoping to make it in entertainment.

What Lauren Schaffel does with her script for Catalogue of Noses is combat antisemitism with comedy by poking fun at Western beauty standards and Jewish stereotypes, all while providing an educational twist. The short isn’t just about whether one has changed their appearance—it’s about whether someone has given up Jewish tradition and religious practices to assimilate. I can think of another way to put it: turning your back on half of the global Jewish population to score points with antisemites.

Catalogue of Noses’s exploration of appearance and societal pressure also resonates beyond Jewish identity. There’s so much emphasis on beauty in Western standards. One of the things that scared me upon coming out as transgender was makeup—which, let’s be honest, meant waking up even earlier to get ready for the day. I had a friend teach me, but ultimately I decided, screw it—I don’t need to cave into Western beauty standards. Cut to a few years later, Pamela Anderson did an entire documentary without wearing makeup!

Ultimately, Catalogue of Noses entertains while offering a sharp commentary on assimilation, beauty standards, and Jewish identity. In just 12 minutes, it balances humor with insight, highlighting the pressures—both cultural and personal—that shape how we present ourselves to the world. The short leaves viewers thinking about the costs of conformity and the choices people make to navigate identity and tradition.

DIRECTOR: Josie Andrews
SCREENWRITER: Lauren Schaffel
CAST: Jemma Handler (introducing), Lori Alan, Rachel Berry, Lauren Schaffel, and Michael Kostroff

Catalogue of Noses is currently playing the film festival circuit. Grade: 4/5

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