By John Corrado

The 2024 Toronto Jewish Film Festival runs from May 30th to June 9th in Toronto, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.

Filmmaker Dan Shadur’s documentary Silver’s Uprising tells the thriller-like story of Amos Dov Silver, an Israeli marijuana activist who was arrested in 2019 for running Telegrass, a Telegram group that functioned as an open market to buy and sell cannabis.

The film opens with footage of Silver’s 2019 arrest, when he was detained by police who raided his hotel room in Kiev, Ukraine. From here, Shadur reveals the background of Silver, a former IDF soldier turned pacifist pothead, who turned away from his Orthodox roots. His activism started when he organized a Bong Night in front of the Knesset that attracted thousands of people, with the thinking being that they couldn’t arrest everyone who showed up.

Silver gained a mass following by passionately advocating for cannabis to be more easily accessible for medicinal purposes, arguing that many people in the country are suffering from PTSD due to military conscription. Silver started Telegrass as a way to tap into and capitalize off of this illegal, underground market; the app functioned like Uber, with registered drivers delivering the goods directly to consumers, bringing in millions of dollars.

Shadur’s film doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of how Telgrass operated, including selling other illicit drugs, soliciting underage dealers to register on the app, and allegations of corruption. If Silver himself still comes off as a complex figure who isn’t entirely knowable let alone admirable, despite his almost cult-like standing as a folk hero amongst his followers, the film offers a compelling portrait of him. Silver’s story is told in a very engaging way, while Silver’s Uprising also provides an interesting look at the rocky road towards cannabis legalization in Israel.

Silver’s Uprising screens on Sunday, June 9th at 8:00 PM at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto as the Closing Night Film of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival. Tickets can be purchased here.