Jewish indie director Jeff Baena found dead at LA home

Independent film director Jeff Baena was found dead Friday morning at a Los Angeles home, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office says. He was 47.

The Jewish Baena was married to actress Aubrey Plaza, who starred in four of his five films, including the 2014 zombie rom-com “Life After Beth,” which revolved around a woman with a Jewish family who rises from the dead. His next movie, “Joshy,” also involved Jewish characters.

“I wanted to explore the way upper-middle class Jewish men in their early to mid 30’s articulate their feelings in the face of tragedy using primarily Jewish actors and actresses after having explored the way upper-middle class Jewish men in their early 20’s articulate their feelings in the face of tragedy using primarily non-Jewish actors and actresses,” he told Borrowingtape.com in 2016.

The son of an attorney and teacher, Baena grew up in Miami and attended film school at New York University. He told podcaster Marc Maron in a 2017 interview that his interest in cinema was sparked after watching Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” and Federico Fellini’s “8 1/2” as a child.

The circumstances of Baena’s death remain unclear. The office says it is investigating and a full report will not be available until the case is closed.

A representative for Plaza said that in addition to Plaza, Baena is survived by his mother, Barbara Stern, stepfather Roger Stern, father Scott Baena, stepmother Michele Baena, brother Brad Baena and stepsiblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.