event east coast premiere–new …...a fascinating, modern take on the wandering jew, the prince...
TRANSCRIPT
ACROSS THE WATERS / Fuglene Over Sundet
BOSTON PREMIERE Saturday, May 5, 4:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)
Tuesday, May 8, 7:30 pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre
Dir: Nicolo Donato | Denmark | 2017 | 95m | Danish w/ English subtitles
A musician and his family make a
frantic escape from Nazi-occupied
Denmark, in this white-knuckled
Danish drama. Enjoying the
nightlife in 1943 Copenhagen, jazz
guitarist Arne Itkin (David Dencik,
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) initially
dismisses his wife Miriam’s (Danica
Curcic, Wallender) concerns about
rumors of the round-up of Danish
Jews. A night raid, however, forces
the couple to flee with their
young son to the fishing village
of Gilleleje, where refugees await
passage to Sweden by boat. As the Gestapo and Danish collaborators close in, the
family puts its fate in the hands of strangers whose motives are not clear. Director
Nicolo Donato, whose grandfather was one of the ferrymen, masterfully ratchets up
the tension, heightening the suspense until the very last frame.
CO-PRESENTED BY: Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry at Brandeis University; Center for German & European Studies at Brandeis UniversityPARTNERS: Scandinavian Cultural Center; Dept. of Near Eastern Judaic Studies at Brandeis Univ.
AN ACT OF DEFIANCE
MASSACHUSETTS PREMIERESpecial Event Commemorating Nelson Mandela’s Centennial
Wednesday, May 9, 7:30 pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre
Friday, May 11, 7:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Alfond)
Welcome by JudyAnn Bigby, Executive Director, South Africa Partners
Dir: Jean van de Velde | Netherlands/South Africa | 2017 | 123m | Eng & Afrikaans w/ Eng sub
This rousing historical drama
is based on the real events of
the pivotal 1963 Rivonia Trial
in apartheid South Africa when
Nelson Mandela and nine of his
black and Jewish compatriots
faced death sentences, having
been charged with conspiracy to
commit sabotage. White Afrikaner
lawyer Bram Fischer (the excellent
Peter Paul Muller) risks everything
to defend the activists, all the
while hiding his own ties to the
resistance. A political thriller full
of courtroom intrigue, the film
is also a powerful exploration of
the sacrifices required to stand
against injustice. Winner of nine film festival audience and jury awards, including
honors for best film, actor, actress, and script.
CO-PRESENTED BY: Sarnat Center for the Study of Anti-Jewishness at Brandeis UniversityPARTNERS: Facing History & Ourselves; South Africa Partners
THE CAKEMAKER
MASSACHUSETTS PREMIERESaturday, May 5, 6:30 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)
Friday, May 11, 2:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Alfond)
Dir: Ofir Raul Graizer | Germany/Israel | 2017 | 105m | English, Hebrew & German w/ Eng sub
One of the most moving, original, and emotionally surprising films of the year,
The Cakemaker is a must see. Graizer’s stunningly acted film explores the evolving
connection between Thomas, a gay German pastry chef (Tim Kalkhof), and
Jerusalem café owner Anat (Sarah Adler, Jellyfish) in the aftermath of a personal
tragedy that unknowingly ties the two together. This Israeli-German production
is an indelible film about loneliness, love, family, and the fluidity of identity—
religious, national, sexual. Also starring Zohar Strauss (Eyes Wide Open NCJF’10),
Roy Miller, and Sandra Sade. Winner, Ecumenical Jury Award, Karlovy Vary Film
Festival; Winner, Jerusalem Film Festival Lia Van Leer Award & Best Editing Award.
CO-PRESENTED BY: Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University; Consulate General of Israel to New EnglandPARTNERS: Wicked Queer Film Festival; Israel Campus Roundtable; Goethe-Institut Boston
THE INVISIBLES / Die Unsichtbaren
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE Sunday, May 6, 11:00 am @ Coolidge Corner Theatre
Thursday, May 10, 5:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)
Dir: Claus Raefle | Germany | 2017 | 110m | German w/ English subtitles
In June 1943, as the Nazis
declared the Reich judenfrei
“free of Jews,” thousands of
Jews were living in hiding
or under false identities in
Berlin. In this suspenseful and
fascinating film, filmmaker
Claus Raefle focuses on the
stories of several young people
(nicknamed “U-Boats” or
“submarines”) who, through
various means, attempted to
evade capture. The Invisibles
brings narrative and emotional
intensity to these astonishingly
true stories by using a hybrid of
documentary and highly accomplished drama (gorgeously photographed by Joerg
Widmer, whose credits include Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life and Wim Wenders’s
Pina). Starring Maximilian Mauff (Bridge of Spies), Florian Lukas (Good Bye Lenin!), and
Andreas Schmidt (The Counterfeiters). Winner, Audience Award, Mill Valley Film Festival.
CO-PRESENTED BY: Goethe-Institut Boston New Films From Germany SeriesPARTNERS: Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry at Brandeis University; Center for German & European Studies at Brandeis University; Israel Campus Roundtable
THE LAST SUIT / El último traje
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE Sunday, May 6, 7:30 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)
Dir: Pablo Solarz | Argentina/Spain | 2017 | 86m | Spanish, German, Polish & Yiddish w/ Eng sub
In Argentine filmmaker Pablo Solarz’s bittersweet road movie, Jewish tailor Abraham
Bursztein (Miguel Ángel Solá) is being put out to pasture by his children, who’ve sold
his Buenos Aires house and booked him into a retirement home. Refusing to bow to
family pressure, he sets off on an adventure halfway around the world. Undeterred
by travel mishaps and with help from a cast of kindly strangers along the way, the
sharply-dressed suit maker
travels by train across
Europe to Poland, seeking
out an old friend. Heartfelt
and charming, with a
wonderful comedic flavor,
The Last Suit reminds us of
the importance of family,
friendship, and keeping
your word. Winner, Santa
Barbara Film Festival Nueva
Vision Award for Spain/Latin
America Cinema.
PARTNER: Argentinean Jewish Relief Committee
THE MUSEUM
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE Thursday, May 3, 6:30 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)
Q&A with Filmmaker Ran Tal
Welcome by Yehuda Yaakov, Consul General of Israel to New England
Dir: Ran Tal | Israel | 2017 | 74 min | English & Hebrew w/ English subtitles
Ran Tal’s magnificent new film The Museum with its unprecedented look behind the
scenes at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem isn’t a conventional documentary about
the history of the museum,
or its world class collection of
500,000 objects (including the
Dead Sea Scrolls); it’s a lyrical
work in and of itself, a poetic
celebration of storytelling
and humanity. Tal (Children
of the Sun NCJF’08) is one of
Israel’s most accomplished
and creative documentarians
and his genius lies in
revealing the essence of a
place or an idea. Gorgeously
photographed, poignant,
and wry, The Museum artfully
curates moments and details,
introducing us to a diverse
range of curators, artists,
guards, and visitors from around the world, each with a story to tell.
PARTNERS: Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University;Consulate General of Israel to New England; Israel Campus RoundtableSPONSOR: Suzanne Priebatsch
NONE SHALL ESCAPE
EAST COAST PREMIERE–NEW RESTORATION 4k Digital from Original Nitrate Negative
Tuesday, May 8, 5:00 pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre
Q&A with Brandeis Prof. Thomas Doherty, author Hollywood & Hitler
Dir: Andre de Toth | USA | 1944 | 85m | English
The only Hollywood film made during
World War II to depict the events later
known as the Holocaust, None Shall
Escape was released in January 1944
and powerfully imagines a postwar
reckoning in which a United Nations
Tribunal charges a Nazi war criminal with
the murder of Polish Jews. Directed by
Hungarian émigré Andre de Toth, shot
by ace cinematographer Lee Garmes,
scripted by Lester Cole, a future member of the Blacklisted Hollywood Ten, and
starring Marsha Hunt and Alexander Knox, future members of the Committee
for the First Amendment. Screening of this fascinating film celebrates
Doherty’s new book Show Trial: Hollywood, HUAC & the Birth of the Blacklist.
CO-PRESENTED BY: Brandeis University Alumni AssociationPARTNERS: Brandeis National Committee; Facing History & Ourselves; Jewish Heritage Center
THE PRINCE AND THE DYBBUK NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Sunday, May 6, 2:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Alfond)
Dir: Piotr Rosolowski & Elwira Niewiera | Poland/Germany | 2017 | 82m | English,
Italian, Spanish, Polish & German w/
English subtitles
The director of the Yiddish
classic The Dybbuk is variously
remembered as a Polish aristocrat,
Hollywood producer, a reprobate
and liar, and an open homosexual.
But who, really, was Michal
Waszyński (born Moshe Waks), the
son of a poor Ukrainian Jewish
blacksmith, who died as Prince
Michal Waszyński in Italy? Waszyński
made 40 films with Sophia Loren,
Anna Magnani, Orson Welles and others, but his most spectacular creation was his
own fabulist life. A fascinating, modern take on the Wandering Jew, The Prince and
the Dybbuk asks whether it’s ever possible to excise one’s roots, and at what cost.
Winner, Venice Film Festival, Best Documentary on Cinema. See also: THE DYBBUK
CO-PRESENTED BY: Center for German & European Studies at Brandeis University
RGB
SNEAK PREVIEW Wednesday, May 2, 7:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Alfond)
Q&A with Filmmaker Betsy West
Dir: Betsy West & Julie Cohen | USA | 2018 | 97m | English
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg’s vigorously argued opinions have
earned this tiny, soft-spoken, intellectual giant
rock star status and the nickname “Notorious
RBG.” RBG traces Ginsburg’s rich personal life
and her barrier-busting career as a trailblazing
lawyer, advocate, and judge. In the 1970s,
she made legal history arguing gender-bias
cases before the (all male) U.S. Supreme Court.
At 84—still inspired by the lawyers who
defended free speech during the Red Scare—Ginsburg continues her tenacious
defense of equal rights. “A fist-pumping, crowd-pleasing documentary that reminds
people of Ginsburg’s vitality and importance, now more than ever.” —Indiewire
SHELTER BOSTON PREMIERE
Thursday, May 10, 7:30 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)
Dir: Eran Riklis | Israel/Germany/France | 2017 | 93m | English, Hebrew & Arabic w/ Eng sub
John le Carré meets Lemon Tree in this gripping psychological neo-noir from
acclaimed Israeli director Eran Riklis (Dancing Arabs NCJF’15, Human Resources
Manager NCJF’11, Syrian Bride) where nothing is safe and no one can be trusted.
Mossad agent Naomi (Neta
Riskin, Norman) is dispatched
from Israel to a safe house
in Hamburg charged with
“babysitting” an important
asset: Mona, a beautiful
Lebanese informant (Golshifteh
Farahani, star of Jim Jarmusch’s
Paterson). Mona is recovering
from plastic surgery that’s
altered her appearance and a
bond develops between the
two women. But in this high-
stakes game of deception,
loyalties will be tested. “Shelter
is fun because, like Naomi,
the audience gets seduced by
Mona.” –Jerusalem Post
CO-PRESENTED BY: Consulate General of Israel to New England; Israel Campus Roundtable; Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University
CUBA’S FORGOTTEN JEWELS
NEW ENGLAND PREMIEREWednesday, May 9, 5:30 pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre
Q&A with Filmmakers Judy Kreith & Robin Truesdale
Moderated by Dalia Wassner, Hadassah-Brandeis Institute
Dir: Judy Kreith & Robin Truesdale | USA | 2017 | 46m | English
This award-winning
documentary explores the
little known story of the Jewish
refugees who escaped Nazi-
occupied Europe and found a
safe haven on the Caribbean
island of Cuba. After a wave of
Jewish immigration to Cuba in
the 1920’s and 30’s, the island
shut its doors to immigrants. In
1940, Cuba changed course and
took in 6,000 Jewish refugees,
including hundreds of diamond
cutters who turned the small tropical island into a major diamond-polishing center.
Interviewees (including co-director Judy Kreith’s mother Marion) recall their lives in
wartime Havana: the draw of Cuban food, music and dance, its language and people.
CO-PRESENTED BY: Hadassah-Brandeis InstitutePARTNERS: Facing History & Ourselves; Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston
THE DYBBUK / Der Dibuk
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE NEW DIGITAL RESTORATION FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR JEWISH FILM
Sunday, May 6, 4:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Alfond)
Q&A with Sharon Pucker Rivo & Lisa Rivo
Dir: Michal Waszynski | Poland | 1937 | 123m | Yiddish w/ new English subtitles
In this mystical tale of star crossed lovers and supernatural possession,
two friends tempt fate by betrothing their unborn children. Years later
when the pledge is broken and the couple’s love is thwarted, Channon
the young lover (Leon Liebgold, Tevye) turns to the dangerous power of
the Kabbalah to win back his love (Lili Liliana, Kol Nidre). Made in Poland
on the eve of WWII in a stylized, Expressionistic manner that has been
called “Hasidic Gothic,” The Dybbuk, based on S. Ansky’s play, brought
together the best talents of Polish Jewry. “One of the most solemn
attestations to the mystic powers of the spirit the imagination has ever
purveyed to the film reel.” --Parker Tyler, Classics of the Foreign Film
CO-PRESENTED BY: Jewish Arts Collaborative; Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry at Brandeis University
HEADING HOME
MASSACHUSETTS PREMIERE–MOTHER’S DAY EVENT GRAND SLAM Sunday, May 13, 2:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)
Q&A with Filmmaker Seth Kramer
Dir: Daniel Miller, Jeremy Newberger & Seth Kramer | USA | 2018 | 85m | English
A new chapter in the
enduring love story
of Jews and Baseball,
Heading Home is the
stirring underdog
chronicle of the
unexpected triumph
of Israel’s national
baseball team at the
2017 World Baseball
Classic. Absolutely
no one was betting on Team Israel, but that was before they beat Cuba, South Korea,
Taiwan and the Netherlands. Team Israel’s scrappy line up included several Jewish MLB
players--including former Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway--who found themselves
exploring their Jewish identity for the first time while representing Israel on the world
stage. A home run for audiences of all ages.
CO-PRESENTED BY: Boston Jewish Film Festival
SPECIAL EVENT
OPENINGNIGHT
May 2-13, 2018www.jewishfilm.org
The National Center for Jewish Film’s 21st ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL
ARCHIVETREASURE
2018 Jewish Film Festival Poster Side FINAL.indd 1 3/20/18 3:43 PM