november 1-15, 2015 - · pdf filenovember 1-15, 2015 11th annual ... leslie & kurt...

laugh • cry • love • debate • celebrate • partner • to life!

november 1-15, 2015

11th annual

Apples from the Desert

East Jerusalem/ West Jerusalem

Dough

A Borrowed Identity

Welcome to the 11th annual columbus Jewish film festival!

Jonathan pryce, lacey Schwartz, nancy Spielberg and gayle Kirschenbaum are some of the big names that will light up our screens. The films you will see represent the works of a group of outstanding producers and directors from many countries including the united States, israel, france, germany, united Kingdom, hungry, argentina and Uruguay. These films provide a unique window into Jewish themes and values, explore Jewish identity and present the richness of Jewish culture relative to a diverse modern world. through the growth of the festival both in the diversity of films offered, we will strengthen our position that continues to entertain, provoke discussion, and provide experiences that engage both mind and heart. We hope that our festival will help bridge cultural and religious differences and contribute to solidarity and peace within our greater community.

cinephiles will be treated to riveting acclaimed dramas, powerful documentaries, light-hearted comedies – all are columbus premieres! this year’s selections represent hope and possibility (Once In A Lifetime), challenging our horizons (Apples from the Desert), the power of knowing our intimate history (God’s Slave/The Lady in Number 6), developing bonds of identity and friendship (To Life), pure spunk and determination for good (Dough), to seeking renewal in family relationships (Look at Us Now, Mother), and courage and loyalty against great odds (Above and Beyond). This is just a small sampling of the films on tap.

heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to our sponsors whose unwavering support has helped us become one of the most well-respected Jewish film fests on the circuit. The generosity of our community partners, financial supporters, venue sponsors and in-kind donors allow us to present a festival worthy of you, our loyal audience. We are grateful to our dedicated steering committee members, volunteers and the JCC staff who flawlessly help us stage this fine event. Emily Schuss, the film festival director, who kept us and the entire committee on track, on time, and on focus-thank you. your past and present generosity of time, commitment and resources allow us to look forward to an outstanding 2015 festival and to our continuing future success.

We hope you will join us often on another cinematic journey that will inspire and enlighten, make us laugh, bring tears to our eyes and above all, bind us through the power of an energizing, shared aesthetic experience. food and insightful programs with special guests create an unforgettable two weeks of international Jewish storytelling. please check out the festival lineup in this program.

See you at the movies!

Jody altschule and carol handler festival chairs

Welcome from the chairs

Jody & Joel altschule

director

ScreenWriter

thank you to our lead sponsors

underWriter

producer

deedee & herb glimcher

marjie & Jeff coopersmith

capitol post 122 Jewish War veterans of the u.S.

linda & frank Kass

the lewin family/ hamilton parker

nancy & tom lurie

matrix psychological Services/visualopathy/

leslie & Kurt malkoff

aurelia & ernest Stern

rozanne & Jerry Stern

carrie & doran young

miriam & bernie yenkin

gigi & Sam fried

LEXUS OF DUBLIN & EASTON

mary & charles rath

cinematographer laurie & larry abramson margey & gary cheses June & Jerry frankel marilyn & roger friedman carole & nelson genshaft audrey & harvey glick dr. Shoshanah goldberg-miller lisa newmark & dr. arnold goodJoy & michael gonsiorowski anita & Jeff grossman Shylee & andrew grossman carol & Steve handler marc hollander, ddS linda Katz & Jerry hackman debby & ira Kane Keidan financial consultants babs & Sid miller rinkov eyecare centers ruth & Joe Sniderman Joy & bruce Soll uS laser, llc ireena & alan Weinberg greta & dan Zidel/Katrina & eric Zidel/Zidel dental group

fanrabbis elka abrahamson & misha Zinkow ayelet & Zahi ben-david ronnie blank clarus partnersJoyce edelman & neal hoffmangeri ellmangail ferbermiriam freimer & ed levinemarcia & al friedman Susan gellman & cantor Jack chomskycarol glassmantoni & eliott goodrebecca gurk & Stuart mangelMarcia & Bob Hershfieldfran & Jerry Jacobscheryl & Jackie JacobsJason a. Kahan, ddS Katie & brett Kaufmanhelene & michael lehvirene levine & lee hessrandi & marty lewisSunny & mark masserJane mattlinJack meizlishKaren & Jon meyerlynda & Stephen nachtcarolyn & evan remerrosanne & mark rosen

fan neil rosenbergSuzanne & norman Schneidermancandi Shoorbethanne & Jeff tilson ella uretsky leslie yenkin & Jonathan petuchowski Joan WallickJennifer & eric Wasserstrommandy & bruce Wasserstromarlene & michael Weisslaura & adam Weiser

frienddarla & lee abraham andrew l. brewster Jennifer & Seth cammeyer marcy & paul cohn lisa & troy crawford bev & bob darwin Joyce & ron erkis patti & richard fertel tali & robbie friedman tobi furman Jennie & Jamie goldson Susan hodge & david greenberg ofra & udi greenshtein donna & gordon hecker leslie & Seth hoffman Insurance Office of Central Ohio mason a. Keny betty & michael Klapper gale & Steve Klayman Jean Krum & david neubauer betsey & bob lane Jackie lantz barb lebowitz-nichol Stacy leeman & gary liebesman elaine & Stan lemeshow deborah levine nancy & bruce meyerKaren & neil moss mindy & bob parsons/ dismas distributing pearl interactive network, inc. eleanor & Ken pearlman Janice S. roth liz & michael Schaeffer rhonda & Steve Schottenstein laura & ron Schulman patti Shoor marcia Katz-Slotnick lee Smith carol & richard Stoff debbi & chuck Sugarman lois & Spike tyler michele & rabbi michael ungar Julie & brad Wasserstrom

partnering organizations beth Jacob Synagogue torat emet Synagogue the Jewish community relations committee of the Jewish federation of columbus national council of Jewish Women columbus Section

in-kind bexley bed+breakfast blocks hot bagels SoS media group

advertisers areaware benchmark bank bexley coffee Shop Bexley Optical Boutique – dr. Susan Stan, o.d. bungalow home capital university the columbus academy custom air dickinson-Wright, pllc direct connect media easton Shoes epstein memorial chapel etc, Boutique fiber-Seal fortner’s g. michael’s bistro & bar giuseppe’s ritrovo hilton columbus polaris the i-tag Ja baker appraisals terry Janis.com Jewish federation of columbus K.a. menendian Jan Kanas – Sotheby’s international realty the Joseph group Juergen’s bakery & restaurantKaufman dental group roni leeman-re/maX town center mayfair village mount carmel medical group new albany, ohio ohio State’s melton center for Jewish Studies psee Solutions ritchey construction incorporated rowe Keith Schuss-Stratos Wealth partners Sherrie gallerie Strip, hoppers, leithart, mcgrath, & terlecky co., lpaSummit financial Strategies- mark S. coffey Jd, cfp tm

taste catering the top Steak house the Wellington School Wesbanco Wealth management Wesley glen/Wesley ridge Wexner center for the arts Wing’s Woodhouse day Spa

thank you to our sponsors

opening night

once in a lifetimedirected by marie-castille metion-Schaar, narrative, 2014, 105 minutes, france, french with english subtitles

sunday, november 1 7 p.m. columbus museum of art

Based on the true story of Anne Gueguen, a dedicated high school history teacher in a French public school, who changed the lives of her most troubled students through Holocaust education.

gueguen is determined to give the best education possible to her under-privileged inner-city students. frustrated, but undaunted, she challenges her multicultural classroom with a unique assignment by entering them in France’s annual competition on the theme of “children and adolescent victims of nazi concentration camps.” hoping to break through her students’ apathy, gueguen uses lessons from the holocaust to overcome differences and show the devastation caused by ignorance and hatred. the project is initially met with extreme resistance until a face-to-face encounter with a holocaust survivor changes the class’s attitude dramatically. these once rebellious teens soon begin to see one another in a whole new light. Once In A Lifetime demonstrates the enduring impact of the holocaust in transforming future generations.

Recommended for teens and older

dessert reception to follow

tickets: $35

above and beyonddirected by roberta grossman, documentary, 2014, 87 minutes, uSa, english

tuesday, november 3 7 p.m. the Jcc

in 1948, just three years after the liberation of nazi death camps, a group of Jewish american pilots answered a call for help. in secret and at great personal risk, they smuggled planes out of the u.S., trained behind the iron curtain in Czechoslovakia and flew for Israel in its War of Independence. This ragtag band of brothers not only turned the tide of the war; they also embarked on personal journeys of discovery and renewed Jewish pride. Above and Beyond is their story. The first major feature-length documentary about the foreign airmen in the ’48 War, Above and Beyond brings together new interviews as well as stunning aerial footage to present a fascinating, little-known tale filled with heart, heroism and high-flying chutzpah.

screening will be followed by discussion with producer nancy spielberg.


Presented in partnership with Capitol Post 122-Jewish War Veterans of the U.S., Beth Jacob Congregation and Torat Emet Synagogue.

tickets: $10/Jcc members, seniors; $12/non-members all tickets are $12 at the door.

An accomplished businesswoman, fundraiser and philanthropist, Nancy Spielberg, Producer, has in recent years turned her energy and talents to producing documentary films. She served as consultant on the Oscar-winning documentary “Chernobyl Heart” and is executive producer of “Elusive Justice: The Search for Nazi War Criminals,” which aired nationally on PBS, and the forthcoming documentary “Mimi and Dona.” She is also executive producing Who Will Write our History? with director Roberta Grossman. Before creating and producing “Above and Beyond,” Spielberg produced a project for the Israeli government, “Celebrities Salute Israel’s 60th,” which was featured in Times Square on the NASDAQ screens for one month. Spielberg grew up surrounded by the film industry, where she worked on her brother Steven’s early films. She attended Arizona State University and UCLA and, after moving to New York, studied film at Sarah Lawrence College and the New School in New York. She is the founder and co-founder of several charities including: A Bid for Charity, Children of Chernobyl, Project Sunshine and the American branch of The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.

look at us noW, motherdirected by gayle Kirschenbaum, documentary, 2015, 84 minutes, uSa, english

sunday, november 8 11:30 a.m. the drexel theatre

A humorous, moving, intimate and courageous film that follows the transformation of an abusive mother and tumultuous mother-daughter relationship to that of acceptance and love. after the success of gayle Kirschenbaum’s short “My Nose,” where she documents her mother’s efforts to encourage her daughter to have a nose job, Kirschenbaum sets out to explain the roots of their relationship and how it could be salvaged before “time runs out.” What emerges is a uniquely cinematic and intimate family study with both humor and pathos in the midst of conflicts and affections that bind mother and daughter. using home movie footage, interviews with family members and recorded therapy sessions, Kirschenenbaum tells the story of two women who want nothing more than to understand each other.

screening will be followed by discussion with director gayle kirschenbaum.

Presented in partnership with National Council of Jewish Women Columbus section


Gayle Kirschenbaum is an Emmy-winning filmmaker/TV producer/blogger and personality. Prior to this film, Kirschenbaum made a poignant and wacky film with her dog about the human/canine bond called “A Dog’s Life: A Dogamentary,” which premiered on HBO. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America, New York Women in Film and Television, Film Fatales and is a judge for the Emmys.

doc sunday

a borroWed identitydirected eran riklis, narrative, 2014, 105 minutes, israel/france/germany, hebrew & arabic with english subtitles

Wednesday, november 4 7 p.m. the drexel theatre

Celebrated filmmaker Eran Riklis adapts Sayed Kashua’s popular semi-autobiographical novel Dancing Arabs for the screen. gifted eyad, a palestinian israeli boy is given the chance to attend a prestigious Jewish boarding school in Jerusalem. With the assistance of his loyal best friend and secret Jewish girlfriend, eyad learns the small yet crucial ways to assimilate himself into an antagonistic culture and distinguishes himself by bringing his unique cultural perspective to the classroom. When his relationship with his girlfriend is uncovered he is forced to make a decision that will change his life forever.


the armor of lightdirected by abigail disney, documentary, 2015, 87 minutes, uSa, english

sunday, november 8 2:30 p.m. the drexel theatre

abigail disney’s directorial debut follows the journey of evangelical minister, Rob Schenck, who finds the courage to preach about the toll of gun violence in america. familiar with challenging the status quo — he was raised Jewish, but became an evangelical as a teenager, Schenck, an anti-abortion activist and fixture on the political far right, breaks with orthodoxy by questioning whether being pro-gun is consistent with being pro-life. he explores this question at a gun show and ministers with stand-your-ground opponents. he eventually teams with lucy mcbath, the mother of Jordan davis, an unarmed teenager murdered in florida whose case has become a landmark in the fight against stand-your-ground laws. it isn’t an overreach when Schenck notes parallels between increasing pro-gun extremism, rising gun violence and the holocaust. as his father once told him, pointing to pictures of the camps, “this is what happens when good people say nothing.”


doc sunday

east Jerusalem/West JerusalemDirected by Erez Miller and Henrique Cymerman, Documentary, 2014, 80 minutes, israel, arabic, english and hebrew with english subtitles

sunday, november 8 4:30 p.m. the drexel theatre

more than a singer/songwriter, david broza is also well known for his commitment and dedication to several humanitarian causes, predominantly, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 1977, Broza wrote what became the anthem of the peace process, his hit song “it Will be good/yihye tov”. his vision brings him to the heart of the conflict, a divided Jerusalem, where he and his musician friends, including grammy-winning Steve earle, palestinian israeli singer Mira Awad and Iraqi Israeli Yair Dalal, take a remarkable journey outside of the political walls. East Jerusalem/West Jerusalem follows the artists over an eight-day period where they converge in a mash up of american, israeli and palestinian sounds. they build musical bridges with broza’s charismatic and energetic performances and his will to have a political impact by the simple act of bring together artists from opposing sides.

Presented in partnership with the Leventhal Fund of the Columbus Jewish Foundation


little White liedirected by lacey Schwartz, documentary, 2014, 65 minutes, uSa, english

tuesday, november 10 7 p.m. the Wexner center for the arts

What defines our identity, our family of origin or the family that raises us? how do we come to terms with the sins and mistakes of our parents? Little White Lie tells lacey Schwartz’s story of growing up in a typical upper-middle class household in Woodstock, ny, with loving parents and a strong sense of her Jewish identity. despite the questions from those around her about how a white girl could have such dark skin, she believed her family’s explanation that her looks were inherited from her dark-skinned Sicilian grandfather. at the age of 18 and after the abrupt split of her parents, Lacey finally decides to put nagging doubts to rest, as she confronts her mother and learns the startling truth about her genesis.

Turning the camera on herself, Lacey documents her cathartic quest to understand the hidden pieces of her life; daring to reconcile her mysterious childhood and biological roots.

screening will be followed by discussion with director lacey schwartz.


Presented in partnership with The Leventhal Artists Program, The Columbus Jewish Foundation, The Ohio State University’s Hillel, Film Studies Program and The Wexner Center for the Arts.

tickets: $5 Jcc/ Wexner members, students, $10 non-members

Lacey Schwartz is the CEO of Truth Aid. She is the director/producer and outreach strategist who has worked with a variety of productions companies, organizations and networks, including MTV, BET, @radical.media, NASCAR and Be’chol Lashon. She also Executive Produced the narrative film “Difret”which won audience awards at the 2014 Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals. Lacey has a BA from Georgetown University and a JD from Harvard Law School.

lady in number 6directed by malcolm clarke, documentary, 2013, 38 minutes, canada/united States

sunday, november 8 7 p.m. the Jcc

at 109 years old, pianist and music teacher alice herz-Sommer lived alone in a tiny flat in central London, dutifully practicing the piano and maintaining an independent routine. coherent, clear-eyed and witty, her relentlessly positive outlook offered no hint of the painful losses she experienced in nazi-occupied prague during WWII. Alice spoke with quiet grace and an astounding absence of malice, citing the importance of music and laughter, and her deeply held belief in the essential goodness of humanity.

followed by discussion and dessert reception

Presented in partnership with The Jewish Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Columbus.

admission is free. please reserve your ticket in advance by contacting Sue vail at [email protected] or 614-559-6212.

to life!directed by uwe Janson, narrative, 2015, 86 minutes, germany, german with english subtitles

thursday, november 12 8 p.m. the drexel theatre

Jonas, a young man on the run, arrives in berlin just in time to save ruth’s life. evicted from her apartment, the sarcastic but warm-hearted aging Jewish cabaret singer saw no other way out than suicide. meanwhile Jonas, driven by a secret, is also fleeing from his love and his future. As Ruth recovers, she and Jonas form a deep bond informed by her own tragic love for a non-Jewish man in post-WWii germany - a love burdened by the legacy of the horrors perpetrated by nazi germany. as Jonas discovers ruth’s past and takes part in her present, his attentions and the passionate, lusty yiddish songs of her youth help her find the way back to life. In turn, she helps him find the strength to tackle his fears, and to forcefully propose “l’chaim – to life!”


apples from the desertdirected by arik lubetsky & matti harari, narrative, 2014, 87 minutes, israel, hebrew with english subtitles

thursday, november 12 6 p.m. the drexel theatre

rebecca abravanel is an only child, living a cloistered existence with her ultra-orthodox Jewish family in Jerusalem. unhappy with the restrictive traditions of home and community, she secretly opens herself to the secular world by attending co-ed dance classes where she forms a relationship with a secular kibbutznik, dooby. Suspicious and angry in the face of rebecca’s growing acts of rebellion, her father reacts by setting in motion a prearranged marriage to an older widow. rebecca’s mother is appalled, but dares not defy the man of the household. after rebecca runs away from home, the family conflict culminates in a moment of truth, forcing them to confront their beliefs and one another.

Apples From The Desert is an adaptation of the award-winning israeli play that explores the themes of love and reconciliation.


Enjoy a boxed dinner between the films.dinner: $10 reservation deadline: november 5 dinner must be prepaid. turkey + vegetarian + egg salad options

doughdirected by John goldschmidt, narrative, 2014, 95 minutes, united Kingdom/hungary, english


an endearing comedy about an unexpected interfaith friendship set in london’s east end. Jonathan pryce stars as nat, an old Jewish widower who clings to his way of life and his livelihood

as a kosher bakery owner. his customers are dying off, his sons have no interest in the family business and a hostile businessman has greedy plans for the property. When his only worker quits, Nat reluctantly hires Ayyash, a teenage refugee from darfur who faces his own struggles in supporting his family. ayyash assists with the bakery’s daily chores, while selling marijuana on the side to make ends meet. When ayyash accidentally drops his stash into the dough, the challah starts flying off the shelves.

Dough is a warmhearted and gently humorous story about overcoming prejudice and finding redemption in unexpected places.


At 6:45 p.m. enjoy a New York Style Deli Dinner: $18 reservation deadline: november 8 dinner must be prepaid.

closing nightgod’s slavedirected by Joel novoa, narrative, 2013, 90 minutes, argentina/uraguay/venezuela, Spanish with english subtitles


based on the actual events of a 1994 bombing in buenos aires, this tense political thriller follows ahmed, trained since childhood as an islamic terrorist now assigned to execute a suicide bomb at a synagogue, and david, the determined, embittered israeli mossad agent who will stop at nothing to prevent the attack. But neither man is defined solely by their extremist views. Ahmed, posing as a doctor, lives happily with his wife and young son; though david’s marriage is on the rocks, he remains devoted to his wife and daughter. With time running out before the attack, david zeroes in on ahmed as a suspect, his investigation culminating in violent, if unexpected, consequences. God’s Slave explores the lives of two men embarking on parallel paths to martyrdom, blinded by hatred born of childhood trauma, and prepared to sacrifice everything for their beliefs.


The Columbus Jewish Film Festival is proud to announce our new project, “Films in Schools,” which brings films into Franklin County schools for grades 8-12 at no cost to the school. The program already has begun to help educate local youth about history and human bravery. Following each film, we

moderate discussions on what students can do to have a positive impact on others. Pictured below are Bexley Middle School winners of CJFF essay contest on that theme.

Our 2015-16 film is “The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler,” a historical feature about a young Christian woman in 1940s Poland, who risked her personal safety hundreds of times in order to smuggle more than 2,500 Jewish babies and children out of the Warsaw ghetto. She is listed among the “Righteous Gentiles” at Israel’s famed Holocaust Museum and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

Sponsored by Margey and Gary Cheses and Mary and Charles Rath in partnership with the Columbus Jewish Film Festival. Contact: Gary Cheses, Founder (614-578-7307) or Linda Katz, Chairperson (614-580-5811).

“Using ‘Films In Schools’ allowed me to connect with my students in a different way and to inspire them to do more with their lives.” —Matthew J. Jordan, Grove City High School

“This fully subsidized movie, presentation, discussion and essay contest would be very valuable again for us in the future, and indeed for any educator wanting to widen students’ understanding of the Holocaust, Holocaust resistance…and personal bravery.” —Michelle L. Rowley-Welsch, Bexley Middle School

CJFF Proudly Introduces “Films in Schools” Holocaust Program

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festival co-chairs Jody altschule carol handler

steering committee ayelet ben-david

tali friedman carol glassman Jenni goldson

Shylee grossman cheryl Jacobs

debby Kane Stacy leeman Sandy meizlish

Sid miller carolyn remer

evan remer candi Shoor

rozanne Stern lois tyler

ella uretsky carrie young

honorary steering committee marjie coopersmith

June frankel gigi fried

carole genshaft linda Katz

melva Schottenstein z”l (Of Blessed Memory)

carol folkerth executive director

melanie butter program director

benjamin S. Zacks president

emily Schuss festival director

special thanks to:

Food supervised by Columbus Vaad.

film venues

columbus museum of art 480 east broad Street columbus, ohio 43215

the drexel theatre 2254 east main Street bexley, ohio 43209

Jewish community center of greater columbus 1125 college avenue columbus, ohio 43209

Wexner center for the arts 1871 north high Street columbus, ohio 43210

the reel pass includes all films, events and food. The Reel Pass: $110 $145 Jcc member value $160 non-member value

JeWish film festival at a glancesunday, november 1 opening night Once in a Lifetime 7 p.m./museum of art

tuesday, november 3 Above & Beyond 7 p.m./Jcc

Wednesday, november 4 Borrowed Identity 7 p.m./drexel theatre

sunday, november 8 doc Sunday Look At Us Now, Mother 11:30 a.m./drexel theatre

The Armor of Light 2:30 p.m./drexel theatre

East Jerusalem/West Jerusalem 4:30 p.m./drexel theatre

The Lady in Number 6 7 p.m./Jcc

tuesday, november 10 Little White Lie 7 p.m./Wexner center

thursday, november 12 Apples from the Desert 6 p.m./drexel theatre

To Life! 8 p.m./drexel theatre

sunday, november 15 closing night God’s Slave 5 p.m./Jcc

dinner 6:45 p.m./Jcc

Dough 8 p.m./Jcc

to purchase tickets visit: www.cjfilmfest.orgcall: 614.559.6212go to: The JCC Front Desk

member/senior price tickets must be purchased in advance.

all tickets are $12 at the door.

www.cjfilmfest.org twitter: @cJfilmfestinstagram: columbusjewishfilmfestival

1125 college avenue columbus, ohio 43209

The Lady in Number 6

God’s Slave

The Lady in Number 6

november 1-15, 2015 - · pdf filenovember 1-15, 2015 11th annual ... leslie & kurt...

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