Written by

Written by? is a short film about names, memory, and identity in the heart of Hollywood. It follows David Lee, a struggling screenwriter pressured to change his name to survive in the industry. When he discovers the forgotten Jewish names of the studio founders - Carl Laemmle, Louis B. Mayer, Samuel Goldwyn, the Warner brothers, Michael Curtiz - he realizes that Hollywood was built by men who had to erase themselves to be accepted. Guided by the ghost of Curtiz and by the secret of a star passed down from his grandmother, David embarks on a journey to reclaim his own name and, symbolically, to give theirs back.

Our mission is to create a poetic and powerful film that shines light on the Jewish immigrants who built Hollywood but whose identities were hidden. In a time when questions of belonging, assimilation, and cultural erasure remain urgent, Written by? becomes both a personal story and a collective act of remembrance. It asks: What is the cost of erasing a name to belong, and what is the power of reclaiming it?

The film will be shot on 35mm Panavision to honor the cinematic language of the Golden Age while speaking directly to contemporary audiences. Its aesthetic merges classic Hollywood beauty with modern storytelling, echoing Curtiz, Wilder, and Lubitsch while grounding the story in today’s struggle for identity and dignity.

The project is led by writer-director Samuel Attias, a French Jewish filmmaker educated in Chicago, whose previous film Wisteria was selected in multiple U.S. festivals including Brooklyn, Zion, and Cannes World. Samuel is joined by longtime collaborators and producers dedicated to bringing the film to festivals, Jewish cultural institutions, and audiences worldwide. 

With Written by?, our purpose is clear: to tell a story that restores names erased by history, celebrates Jewish resilience, and reminds us that cinema is not only entertainment, but memory preserved in light. With the ambition of an Oscar-qualifying run, this film is conceived as both a tribute to the past and a powerful message for the present.