Short Musical Comedy Catalogue of Noses Tackles Jewish Assimilation, Beauty Standards, and Hollywood Representation
Catalogue of Noses is a 12-minute short musical comedy that dives straight into the pressures surrounding Jewish identity, assimilation, and Western beauty standards, especially within the entertainment industry. Written and produced by Lauren Schaffel and directed by Josie Andrews, the film tells the story of Emily, a 16-year-old Jewish actress played by Jemma Handler, who is preparing for a rhinoplasty that could change not just her appearance, but how she sees herself.
Set on the day of Emily’s surgery, the film places her in an emotional standoff with her mother Debbie (played by Lori Alan) and her Jewish plastic surgeon, Dr. Marcus Pearlman (portrayed by Michael Kostroff). What appears to be a routine cosmetic procedure becomes a moment of reckoning, forcing Emily—and the audience—to question how much of oneself must be altered to fit in. The film cleverly uses musical comedy to highlight these themes, featuring original parody songs inspired by classic Fiddler on the Roof tunes, which create a familiar yet humorous backdrop for heavier ideas.
The short is rooted deeply in real experiences. Schaffel, a former child actor with credits in shows like Will & Grace and Still Standing, underwent rhinoplasty herself at 16 after repeatedly being told that her nose was costing her roles. That personal history shapes the film’s authenticity. In interviews, she has emphasized that Catalogue of Noses is her way of challenging the ongoing issue of “Jewface”—a term popularized by Sarah Silverman to describe the inauthentic portrayal of Jews in film and TV, often involving exaggerated prosthetics or non-Jewish actors performing stereotypical accents. (More on the term here via NPR.)
That issue remains painfully relevant. During the press tour for The Brutalist, actor Adrien Brody shared that a makeup artist once tried to pull off his nose, assuming it was fake—a moment that echoes the criticism surrounding films like Maestro, where Bradley Cooper, a non-Jewish actor, portrayed Jewish conductor Leonard Bernstein using a prominent prosthetic nose. These incidents underline why a project like Catalogue of Noses resonates so strongly.
Beyond Jewish identity, the short touches on universal pressures tied to beauty and conformity. The film directly acknowledges how Western beauty standards affect people across different backgrounds. A moment during one screening prompted an African-American actor to share how similar pressures affected him regarding hair and skin presentation in the industry. Schaffel mentions her own choice to resist heavy beauty routines, humorously connecting this to Pamela Anderson’s makeup-free documentary, which became a symbol of resisting societal expectations.
The project began as a play commissioned by the JewFace Theatre Collective under ShPIeL Performing Identity in 2023 before being adapted into a film. It features whimsical moments—such as a literal catalogue of celebrity noses—that blend comedy with introspection. The film is also part of an educational initiative being developed with Reboot Studios, aiming to bring these conversations into classrooms. You can learn more about Reboot’s cultural work here.
Currently, Catalogue of Noses is traveling through the film festival circuit, including Los Angeles Shorts International Film Festival, Ojai Film Festival, and Woods Hole Film Festival. While it’s not yet available for public streaming, updates can be tracked on its listing at IMDb.
With sharp humor and honest reflection, Catalogue of Noses invites viewers to question how identity, tradition, and appearance intersect—and what gets lost when people change themselves to belong.
