The most popular physical incarnation of the golem was made from clay by Rabbi Judah Loew in Prague in the late 16th century, in response to anti-Semitic pogroms and blood libels. In the traditional telling of the story, the golem, whose purpose was to act as a helper, ultimately becomes a destructive force, turning against its creator and the Jewish people it was meant to serve.

Taking inspiration from Rabbi Loew’s dual role—as a father figure to the golem and as a spiritual leader turned artist—Emmet’s Carousel is set in a present-day artist’s studio, within which a new golem is in the process of being created. 

The title of the film refers to the Hebrew word “emet,” meaning “truth,” which Loew inscribed on the golem’s forehead, thus imbuing it with life. Notions of truth are touched upon throughout the film, with the narrator discussing the nature and function of mythologies as timeless tales that forever hold the potential to reflect and illuminate present circumstances. Further, the film addresses the labour inherent to, and the transformative power of, making art in the face of adversity.