Festival Program

Sydney / 29 October — 16 November
Melbourne / 5 — 23 November
Gold Coast & Perth / 15, 16 & 23 November
Auckland / 16 & 23 November
1
Festival
Program
S P O NS O RS , PA R T N ERS
& F RIEN DS O F J IF F —
CH AI (‫ )ח י‬S P O NS O R —
SILV ER S P O NS O RS —
B RO NZE S P O NS O RS —
Ben Annika & Sophie Landa
M EDI A PA R T N ERS —
2
S P O NS O RS , PA R T N ERS
& F RIEN DS O F J IF F —
CIN EM A PA R T N ERS —
CU LT U R A L & P RO G R A M M IN G PA R T N ERS —
F RIEN DS O F J IF F —
1 Giant Mind
Alex & Rosie Linden
Arkady Shtrambrandt
Baco Juices
Cadrys Handwoven Rugs
David Simons
David Woollands
Doughboy
Escala Partners
Fraid Family
Genovese Coffee
Golden Sheaf Hotel
ITN Architects
Jackie Vidor & Phil Staub
Lauren & Bruce Fink
Leon Gorr
Leonid Madorsky
Lorelle & Tom Krulis
Michael Roseby
Peter Ivany
Philip Zajac
P & R Weinman
Rampersand
River Capital
Sandra & Barry Smorgon OAM
Sassafras Sweet Co.
See-Saw Films
Simon and Lisa De Winter
The Choc Top Ice-cream Company
Trialia Wines
Viv & Phil Green
Westfield
YO-CHi
3
The 2014
Jewish International
Film Festival
CO N T EN T S —
Melbourne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Sydney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Gold Coast, Perth & Auckland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Opening Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Closing Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Films (in alphabetical order) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 — 5 8
K EEP U P WIT H A L L T HIN GS J IF F —
Subscribe to JIFF e-news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J IF F.CO M . AU/SIG N U P
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F ES TI VA L T E A M —
F ES T I VA L DI R EC TO R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eddie Tamir
C O P Y W R I T ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miriam Kauppi
F ES T I VA L M A N AG ER
P U B L I CIS T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annette Smith
& S H O R T S P RO G R A M M ER . . . . . . . . . . . . Tamar Simons
F ES T I VA L I D EN T I T Y & D ES IG N . . . . . . . . Studio Round
A DV ER T IS I N G , S P O N S O RS H I P
W EB D E V ELO P M EN T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sam Morgan
& G RO U P B O O K I N GS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lindy Tamir
T R A I L ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clayton Jacobson
M A R K E T I N G M A N AG ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sue Ristovski
M AT ER I A L S & C O N V ERS I O N S . . . . . . . . . JORR Pty Ltd
M A R K E T I N G AS S IS TA N T . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgina Wills
M A R K E T I N G I N T ER N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erin Rosenberg
4
F ES T I VA L AS S IS TA N T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benji Tamir
ALSO —
AC C O U N T S M A N AG ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Mahoney
A S P ECI A L T H A N KS TO T H E D EDI CAT ED
C L AS S I C CI N EM AS M A N AG ER . . . . . Jeremy Goldman
T E A M S AT C L AS S I C CI N EM AS , E V EN T CI N EM AS
E V EN T CI N EM AS M A N AG ER . . . . . . . . . . Fiona Pulford
A N D T H E B RI D G E WAY CI N EM A
Welcome
A N OT E F RO M T H E
F ES TI VA L DIR EC TO R —
JIFF 2014 brings you Australian premieres
of the cream of the new crop of Israeli and
Jewish-themed films.
In this year’s program there are 43 major
international festival award winners and
audience pleasers.
The cinema remains a sacred place.
In the dark, without external distractions,
we can put ourselves in the shoes of the
characters on screen and share an experience
with our fellow cinema-goers. We may share
the same, joyous ride or have an entirely
different response. Once the lights come up
we can celebrate or argue together.
A film-festival is an opportunity to
challenge the routine of our thoughts on
politics, religion, news and whom we choose
to sit next to!
So dive into the program. Enjoy
the obvious hits as well as the smaller,
hidden gems.
We are thrilled to launch JIFF in Perth,
the Gold Coast and Auckland.
If you have missed any films from festivals
past, enjoy our new Video on Demand
(VOD) service. Go to jiff.com.au and click
on the ‘Shop’ tab.
Stay tuned for our Holocaust Film Series
in March 2015, which will feature more than
30 Australian premiere feature films and
documentaries.
Thanks to all our generous sponsors
and friends. Thanks to our JIFF team and in
particular Festival Manager Tamar and my
partner Lindy.
—E
ddie Tamir, Festival Director
5
Melbourne Film Program
Wednesday 5
Sunday 9 (continued)
Wednesday 12
7. 15 P M 1 .0 0 P M Brave Miss World 24
12 .0 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
Opening Night Party ★
8 . 3 0 P M Opening Night Film —
Gett, The Trial of
Viviane Amsalem ★
1 . 15 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes 12 . 15 P M Voices From the Booth 53
of Sholom Aleichem 51
3 . 4 5 P M The Outrageous
Sophie Tucker 47
Thursday 6
12 .0 0 P M The Farewell Party 29
12 . 15 P M Night Will Fall 44
2 . 3 0 P M Run Boy Run 49
2 . 4 5 P M King of the Jews 34
2 . 3 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
3 . 3 0 P M The Green Prince 32 ★
6 .0 0 P M Etgar Keret: What
Animal Are You? 28 ★
6 . 15 P M Gett, The Trial of
Viviane Amsalem 16
2 . 4 5 P M A Place in Heaven 19
6 . 3 0 P M Young Perez 57
6 . 4 5 P M Lost Town 39
9.0 0 P M Run Boy Run 49
9. 15 P M Regarding Susan Sontag 48
Viviane Amsalem 16
6 . 4 5 P M The Dove Flyer 27
8 . 3 0 P M Anywhere Else 21
Thursday 13
7.0 0 P M 8 . 4 5 P M Night Will Fall 44
12 .0 0 P M The Farewell Party 29
My Old Lady 42
9. 10 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
9. 2 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
12 . 15 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes
of Sholom Aleichem 51
Monday 10
12 .0 0 P M Because I Was a Painter 23 ★ 2 . 3 0 P M The Last Mentsch 36
12 . 15 P M Gett, The Trial of
Friday 7
12 .0 0 P M The Decent One 25
Viviane Amsalem 16
12 . 15 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes 2 . 3 0 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
of Sholom Aleichem 51
2 . 3 0 P M Anywhere Else 21
2 . 4 5 P M Young Perez 57
2 . 4 5 P M The Outrageous
Sophie Tucker 47
2 . 4 5 P M Arabani 22
6 . 3 0 P M Write Down, I Am an Arab 55
6 . 4 5 P M Magic Men 40
9.0 0 P M The Wonders 54
9. 15 P M Anywhere Else 21
6 . 3 0 P M The Decent One 25
6 . 4 5 P M Shtisel 50 ★
Friday 14
Saturday 8
9.0 0 P M Yalom’s Cure 56
12 .0 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
1 . 4 5 P M Do You Believe in Love? 28
9. 3 0 P M The Israeli Code 33
12 . 15 P M Operation Sunflower 45
2 .0 0 P M Write Down, I Am an Arab 55
2 . 3 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
4 . 15 P M The Last Mentsch 36
Tuesday 11
4 . 3 0 P M Voices From the Booth 53
12 .0 0 P M Kol Nidre 35 ★
6 . 4 5 P M The Green Prince 32 ★
12 . 15 P M Anywhere Else 21
Saturday 15
7.0 0 P M 2 . 3 0 P M Life Sentences 38
1 . 4 5 P M Natan 43
9. 15 P M The Farewell Party 29
2 . 4 5 P M Zero Motivation 58
2 .0 0 P M 24 Days 18
9. 3 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
6 . 3 0 P M Night Will Fall 44 ★
4 . 15 P M Run Boy Run 49
6 . 4 5 P M Orange People 46
4 . 3 0 P M Etgar Keret: What
The Decent One 25
2 . 4 5 P M The Good Son 31
Sunday 9
9.0 0 P M The Good Son 31
11 .0 0 A M Transit 52
9. 15 P M The Farewell Party 29
Animal Are You? 28
6 . 4 5 P M Gett, The Trial of
Viviane Amsalem 16
11 . 15 A M Shtisel 50
TIC K E T S Online at www.jiff.com.au, over the
phone during box office hours (03) 9524 7900
or at the Classic Box Office.
F ES TI VA L FIL M PAS S ES
Adults $95 / Classic Members $80
Adults $180 / Classic Members $150
20 Adults $340 / Classic Members $280
5
10
SIN G L E TIC K E T S
Adults $20 / Concessions $18 / Classic Members $17
O P ENIN G NIG H T
C LOSIN G NIG H T
6
Adults $35 / Classic Members $32
Adults $29 / Classic Members $26
EL IGIB L E CO N C ES SIO NS Students, health care
card holders and pensioners. Proof of concession must
be presented.
Festival passes are for separate, preselected
sessions for one person. All films selected must
be different from one another. Festival passes
cannot be used for higher-priced events.
Please see the events page for specific ticketing
details. Passes are available online or at the box
office. Only Classic Members receive concession
price on passes.
Tickets & Venue
Saturday 15 (continued)
Tuesday 18 (continued)
Saturday 22
7.0 0 P M 6 . 3 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
1 . 4 5 P M Magic Men 40
The Dove Flyer 27
Viviane Amsalem 16 ★
9. 15 P M The Farewell Party 29
9. 3 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
Sunday 16
4 . 15 P M Night Will Fall 44
9.0 0 P M Young Perez 57
4 . 3 0 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
9. 15 P M Zero Motivation 58
6 . 4 5 P M Zero Motivation 58
11 .0 0 A M The Outrageous
Sophie Tucker 47
7.0 0 P M 12 .0 0 P M The Accursed 20
1 .0 0 P M Kol Nidre 35
12 . 15 P M Magic Men 40
3 . 3 0 P M The Farewell Party 29 ★
2 . 4 5 P M The Outrageous
Sunday 23
6 . 3 0 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes 11 .0 0 A M Natan 43
of Sholom Aleichem 51
6 . 15 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes
of Sholom Aleichem 51
Viviane Amsalem 16
9. 3 0 P M The Decent One 25
Sophie Tucker 47
3 . 4 5 P M A Match Made in Heaven 41
The Farewell Party 29
9. 15 P M Gett, The Trial of
Wednesday 19
11 . 15 A M The Accursed 20
6 .0 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
2 .0 0 P M The Last Mentsch 36
6 . 4 5 P M King of the Jews 34
11 . 15 A M The Israeli Code 33
6 . 4 5 P M Life Sentences 38
1 .0 0 P M Because I Was a Painter 23
8 . 3 0 P M The Go-Go Boys 30 ★
9.0 0 P M The Farewell Party 29
1 . 15 P M The Dove Flyer 27
8 . 4 5 P M The Decent One 25
9. 15 P M A Place in Heaven 19
3 .0 0 P M Brave Miss World 24
Monday 17
Thursday 20
12 .0 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
12 .0 0 P M The Decent One 25
3 . 4 5 P MThe Outrageous
Viviane Amsalem 16
Sophie Tucker 47
5 . 15 P MTheodore Bikel: In the Shoes
of Sholom Aleichem 51
12 . 15 P M Do You Believe in Love? 26
12 . 15 P M Regarding Susan Sontag 48 2 . 3 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
Viviane Amsalem 16
2 . 3 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
6 .0 0 P M Anywhere Else 21
7. 3 0 P M C
losing Night Drinks ★
2 . 4 5 P M Lost Town 39
2 . 4 5 P M Because I Was a Painter 23
6 . 3 0 P M Brave Miss World 24
6 . 3 0 P M Zero Motivation 58 ★
8.30 PM C
losing Night Film —
6 . 4 5 P M The Last Mentsch 36
6 . 4 5 P M A Match Made in Heaven 41
9.0 0 P M The Decent One 25
9.0 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
Monday 24 — Wednesday 26
9. 15 P M Life as a Rumour 37
9. 15 P M 24 Days 18
Encore Sessions:
Tuesday 18
Friday 21
12 .0 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
12 .0 0 P M Anywhere Else 21
12 . 15 P M Orange People 46
12 . 15 P M Orange People 46
2 . 3 0 P M The Farewell Party 29
2 . 3 0 P M Yalom’s Cure 56
Above and Beyond ★
Please check jiff.com.au
for session times
2 . 4 5 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes 2 . 4 5 P M Young Perez 57
G RO U P B O O K IN GS Min. 20 people, $14/ticket
Bookings online or [email protected]
EN Q U IRIES [email protected] or (03) 9524 7979
T ER MS & CO N DITIO NS Persons under the age of 15
must be in the company of a parent or adult guardian.
R EF U N DS/ E XC H A N G ES Please check your booking
carefully at the time of purchase as all tickets are nonrefundable. Tickets can be exchanged for the equal dollar
amount up to 24 hours prior to the session start time for
a $2 fee at the box office only. Lost or stolen tickets cannot
be replaced.
★Accompanied by an event. See
pgs. 8–9 for more information.
of Sholom Aleichem 51
V EN U E Classic Cinemas
9 Gordon Street, Elsternwick
Tel. — (03) 9524 7900
www.classiccinemas.com.au
A kosher pop-up falafel
& sabich stall by Hamawi’s Kitchen will
be open onsite throughout the festival.
J E WIS H FO O D
Free parking available at the
Elsternwick Station car park in Horne Street.
PA R K IN G
7
Melbourne Events
WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER
Curator and Head of Collections, Jayne Josem
OPENING NIGHT PARTY & FILM
will reveal the fascinating story of Auschwitz
survivor and Jewish artist, Walter Preisser.
Jayne will present a video featuring Preisser’s
artworks and a testimony from Melbourne
survivor and JHC Museum guide, Joseph
Spring, who attributes his survival to Preisser’s
protection.
12.00 PM Because I Was a Painter
SPEAKER Jayne Josem
Celebrate the Opening Night of JIFF 2014
with Isman and the Desert Island Folk,
a fresh indie-folk Melbourne band. This will
be followed by the award-winning film
Gett, The Trial of Vivianne Amsalem (pg. 16).
7.15 PM Isman and the Desert Island Folk
8.30 PM Gett, The Trial of Vivianne Amsalem
TICKETS Adults $35 / Classic Members $32
Drink & food included. Tickets are not available
for the screening only.
SATURDAY 8 & SUNDAY 9 NOVEMBER
THE GREEN PRINCE
MONDAY 10 NOVEMBER
A Q&A with the film’s writer, director
and producer Nadav Schirman, follows
the screenings of The Green Prince (pg. 32).
SATURDAY 6.45 PM The Green Prince
SUNDAY 3.30 PM The Green Prince
SPEAKER Nadav Schirman
ISRAELI TV SPOTLIGHT
After a screening of Shtisel panelists
will discuss the place of Haredim in
Israeli society.
6.45 PM Shtisel SPEAKERS Sonia Slonim,
Shavi Slodowitz and Ittay Flescher
SUNDAY 9 NOVEMBER
TUESDAY 11 NOVEMBER
EXPLORING ETGAR
ZINGEN KINDERLEKH
The Melbourne Jewish Writer’s Festival
presents Dvir Abramovich, Australia’s
leading expert on Modern Israeli Literature,
and literary reviewer Tali Lavi, for a
fascinating conversation about Israel’s
hippest, coolest and best-selling author
and film maker Etgar Keret to discover
why he’s an international star.
6.00 PM Etgar Keret: What Animal Are You?
(pg. 28)
PARTNER Melbourne Jewish Writer’s Festival
SPEAKERS Dvir Abramovich and Tali Lavi
An afternoon of Yiddish with melodies
performed by the students of Sholem Aleichem
College followed by the 1939 Yiddish classic
Kol Nidre.
12.00 PM Kol Nidre
PARTNER Sholem Aleichem College
MONDAY 10 NOVEMBER
THE ART OF SURVIVING
Following the screening of Because I Was a
Painter (pg. 23), Jewish Holocaust Centre
8
TUESDAY 11 NOVEMBER
NIGHT WILL FALL
ACJC Director Mark Baker will talk about
ethical and historical issues that the film
raises relating to knowledge of the Holocaust
after the liberation of the camps, the use of
grotesque imagery for the the re-education
of Germans, and the questions that extend
to our present day reception of images that
dehumanise the dead in an age of visual fatigue.
6.30 PM
Night Will Fall
ACJC SPEAKER Mark Baker
PARTNER
Stick around for a bonus screening of Cannon
Films classic, Breakin’.
The Go-Go Boys
Jewish Museum of Australia
QUIZMASTER EXTRAORDINAIRE Adrian Elton
8.30 PM
PARTNER
TUESDAY 11 NOVEMBER
MAKE ME A MATCH
To coincide with our screenings of A Match
Made in Heaven (pg. 41) and Do You Believe
in Love? (pg. 26), JIFF presents its own take
on dating. Do you love film? Are you Jewish?
And are you single? If so, speed with style! Join
30 other singles at After the Tears to meet new
people and maybe even your one and only.
7.00 PM Speed Dating at After the Tears
PARTNER Fast Impressions
Details and bookings via fastimpressions.com.au
TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER
GRASPING THE GETT
Following the screening of Gett, The Trial of
Viviane Amsalem (pg. 16), join lawyer Harriet
Warlow-Shill and Rabbi Avrohom Jacks for an
in-depth discussion about the Jewish Divorce,
a gett, in contemporary Jewish Australia.
6.30 PM Gett, The Trial Of Vivian Amsalem
SPEAKERS Harriet Warlow-Shill
& Rabbi Avrohom Jacks
SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER
THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER
DYING WITH DIGNITY
SO YOU MADE A SHORT, WHAT NEXT?
Dr Rodney Syme has been an advocate for
medically assisted dying for more than 20 years
and was the President of Dying with Dignity
Victoria for 10 years. Following the screening
of The Farewell Party (pg. 29), Dr Syme will
discuss his belief in the rights of individuals
to determine when, where and how their lives
will end.
3.30 PM The Farewell Party
PARTNER Dying With Dignity Victoria
SPEAKER Dr Rodney Syme
Sited as one of Indiewire’s 12 Directors
to Watch, Talya Lavie’s feature film Zero
Motivation (pg. 58) is an example of how
emerging filmmakers can create successful
features after making a short. Join the
Managing Director of Village Roadshow,
Joel Pearlman for a panel of industry
professionals discussing the transition
from short film to feature filmmaking.
6.30 PM Zero Motivation
SPEAKER Joel Pearlman
For details see the website jiff.com.au
SUNDAY 23 NOVEMBER
SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER
CLOSING NIGHT DRINKS & FILM
JEWISH GENIUSES
A drink and some music before a screening
of Above and Beyond (pg. 17).
7.30PM Drinks and music
8.30 PM Above and Beyond
TICKETS Adults $29 / Classic Members $26
To celebrate the Israeli filmmaking duo,
The Go-Go Boys and the opening of the
Jewish Museum of Australia’s Andy Warhol’s
Jewish Geniuses, join us for a post-film pop
quiz! How much do you know about Jewish
geniuses? Or the eclectic and abundant
variety of movies made by Cannon Films?
Tickets are not available for the screening only.
Please note details were correct at the time of printing
and may change. Visit jiff.com.au for updated details.
9
Sydney Film Program
Wednesday 29
Sunday 2
Wednesday 5
7. 15 P M Opening Night Party ★
11 .0 0 A M The Good Son 31
12 .0 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
8 . 3 0 P M Opening Night Film —
11 . 15 A M Young Perez 57
12 . 15 P M Voices From the Booth 53
Gett, The Trial of
1 . 15 P M Brave Miss World 24
1 . 4 5 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
Viviane Amsalem ★
1 . 4 5 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes
2 .0 0 P M Do You Believe in Love? 26
of Sholom Aleichem 51
Thursday 30
3 . 4 0 P M The Outrageous
Sophie Tucker 47
12 .0 0 P M The Farewell Party 29
12 . 15 P M Night Will Fall 44
3 . 5 0 P M The Farewell Party 29 ★
2 . 10 P M Run Boy Run 49
6 .0 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
Viviane Amsalem 16
2 . 2 0 P M The Last Mentsch 36
6 . 4 5 P M The Outrageous
Sophie Tucker 47
7.0 0 P M My Old Lady 42
6 . 3 0 P M Young Perez 57
7.0 0 P M Lost Town 39
8 . 5 0 P M Run Boy Run 49
9.0 0 P M Regarding Susan Sontag 48
Thursday 6
7.0 0 P M Anywhere Else 21
12 .0 0 P M The Decent One 25
8 . 3 0 P M 24 Days 18
12 . 15 P M Transit 52
8 . 4 5 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
2 . 15 P M Gett, The Trial of
Monday 3
2 . 3 0 P M Anywhere Else 21
Viviane Amsalem 16
9.0 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
9. 15 P M The Dove Flyer 27
12 .0 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
Viviane Amsalem 16
Friday 31
6 . 3 0 P M The Green Prince 32 ★
6 . 4 5 P M A Match Made in Heaven 41
12 .0 0 P M The Decent One 25
12 . 15 P M The Farewell Party 29
9.0 0 P M Magic Men 40
12 . 15 P M Because I Was a Painter 23
2 . 2 0 P M The Outrageous
9. 15 P M Write Down, I Am an Arab 55
Sophie Tucker 47
2 . 10 P M Anywhere Else 21
2 . 3 0 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes
2 . 3 0 P M Magic Men 40
Friday 7
6 . 3 0 P M The Decent One 25
11 .0 0 A M The Green Prince 32 ★
6 . 4 5 P M Shtisel 50
12 .0 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
Saturday 1
8 . 4 5 P M The Israeli Code 33
2 .0 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
4 . 15 P M The Last Mentsch 36
9.0 0 P M Yalom’s Cure 56
2 . 15 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
6 . 4 5 P M The Farewell Party 29
Tuesday 4
Saturday 8
7.0 0 P M The Decent One 25
12 .0 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
4 .0 0 P M A Place in Heaven 19
9.0 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
12 . 3 0 P M Arabani 22
4 . 3 0 P M Run Boy Run 49
9. 15 P M Night Will Fall 44
2 . 15 P M The Decent One 25
6 . 4 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
of Sholom Aleichem 51
4 . 3 0 P M Life Sentences 38
2 . 3 0 P M A Place in Heaven 19
Viviane Amsalem 16
6 . 4 5 P M Night Will Fall 44
7.0 0 P M The Dove Flyer 27
7.0 0 P M Orange People 46
9. 15 P M The Farewell Party 29
8 . 4 5 P M The Farewell Party 29
9. 3 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
9.0 0 P M The Good Son 31
Available online at jiff.com.au
or at the Event Cinemas Box Office. Join Cinebuzz
for free and earn points throughout JIFF.
TIC K E T S
SIN G L E TIC K E T S
Adults $20 / Cinebuzz Students & Seniors $18 O P ENIN G NIG H T
Adults $35 / Cinebuzz Students & Seniors $32
C LOSIN G NIG H T
Adults $29 / Cinebuzz Students & Seniors $26
10
F ES TI VA L FIL M PAS S ES Adults $95 / Cinebuzz Students
& Seniors $80
5
Festival passes are for separate, preselected sessions
for one person. All films selected must be different
from one another. Festival passes cannot be used for
higher-priced events. Please see the events page for
specific ticketing details. Passes are available online
or at the box office.
Tickets & Venue
Sunday 9
Wednesday 12
Saturday 15
11 .0 0 A M The Accursed 20
12 .0 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
4 . 4 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
Viviane Amsalem 16
12 .0 0 P M Voices From the Booth 53
1 . 15 P M Kol Nidre 35
12 . 3 0 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes
of Sholom Aleichem 51
3 . 3 0 P M The Outrageous
Sophie Tucker 47
2 . 15 P M Because I Was a Painter 23
4 .0 0 P M The Decent One 25
2 . 3 0 P M Orange People 46
6 .0 0 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes
6 . 3 0 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
of Sholom Aleichem 51
5 .0 0 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
6 . 5 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
7. 15 P M The Farewell Party 29
9. 15 P M Gett, The Trial of
Viviane Amsalem 16
9. 3 0 P M The Decent One 25
6 . 4 5 P M Magic Men 40
6 . 15 P M Night Will Fall 44
8 . 4 5 P M The Farewell Party 29
Sunday 16
8 . 3 0 P M Anywhere Else 21
9.0 0 P M Life Sentences 38
12 .0 0 P M Magic Men 40
8 . 4 5 P M Etgar Keret: What Animal
Are You? 28
12 . 15 P M Natan 43
Thursday 13
2 . 15 P M Run Boy Run 49
12 .0 0 P M The Israeli Code 33
2 . 3 0 P M Brave Miss World 24
Monday 10
12 . 15 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
4 . 15 P M The Outrageous
12 .0 0 P M Young Perez57
1 . 3 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
12 . 15 P M The Outrageous
2 . 15 P M Operation Sunflower 45
4 . 4 0 P M The Farewell Party 29
6 . 3 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
6 . 3 0 P M Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes
Sophie Tucker 47
Viviane Amsalem 16 ★
2 . 15 P M Zero Motivation 58
Sophie Tucker 47
of Sholom Aleichem 51
2 . 4 5 P M Natan 43
6 . 4 5 P M Because I Was a Painter 23
6 . 5 0 P M Anywhere Else 21
6 . 3 0 P M Brave Miss World 24
9.0 0 P M The Dove Flyer 27
7. 3 0 P M Closing Night Drinks ★
7.0 0 P M The Decent One 25 ★
9. 15 P M Night Will Fall 44
8.30 PM C
losing Night Film —
Above and Beyond ★
9.0 0 P M The Last Mentsch 36
9. 10 P M Life as a Rumour 37
Friday 14
12 . 15 P M Do You Believe in Love? 28
Monday 17 — Wednesday 19
Tuesday 11
12 . 2 0 P M Orange People 46
Encore Sessions:
12 .0 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
1 . 4 5 P M The Outrageous
Please check jiff.com.au
12 . 15 P M Magic Men 40
2 .0 0 P M The Farewell Party 29
Sophie Tucker 47
for session times
2 . 3 0 P M Young Perez 57
2 . 3 0 P M The Last Mentsch 36
6 . 3 0 P M Zero Motivation 58
6 . 4 5 P M King of the Jews 34
8 . 4 5 P M Gett, The Trial of
Viviane Amsalem 16
★Accompanied by an event. See
9.0 0 P M The Wonders 54
Min. 20 people, $14/ticket
Bookings: [email protected]
pgs. 12–13 for more information.
G RO U P B O O K IN GS
V EN U E
EN Q U IRIES [email protected] or (03) 9524 7979
Event Cinemas
Level 8, Westfield Shopping Centre
500 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction
Tel. — (02) 9300 1500
www.eventcinemas.com.au
T ER MS & CO N DITIO NS Persons under the age of 15
must be in the company of a parent or adult guardian.
R EF U N DS/ E XC H A N G ES Please check your booking
carefully at the time of purchase as all tickets are nonrefundable. Tickets can be exchanged for the equal dollar
amount up to 24 hours prior to the session start time for
a $2 fee at the box office only. Lost or stolen tickets cannot
be replaced.
T H R EE H O U RS F R EE PA R K IN G
WIT H TIC K E T VA L IDATIO N
11
Sydney Events
WEDNESDAY 29 OCTOBER
THURSDAY 6 & FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER
OPENING NIGHT PARTY & FILM
THE GREEN PRINCE
Celebrate the Opening Night of JIFF 2014
with Ilan Kidron, lead singer of the awardwinning The Potbelleez, and his dynamic
and eclectic band Glass whose contemporary
takes on classics and wicked twists on the
contemporary will get you in the party mood.
This will be followed by the award-winning
film Gett, The Trial of Vivianne Amsalem
(pg. 16).
7.15 PM Ilan Kidron and the Glass Band
8.30 PM Gett, The Trial of Vivianne Amsalem
TICKETS Adults $35 / Cinebuzz Students
& Seniors $26
A Q&A hosted by Encounters@Shalom
with the film’s writer, director and producer
Nadav Schirman, following the screenings
of The Green Prince (pg. 32).
THURSDAY 6.30 PM The Green Prince
FRIDAY 11.00 AM The Green Prince
PARTNER Encounters@Shalom
SPEAKER Nadav Schirman
Drink & food included. Tickets are not available
Pieced together by a rich archive of recovered
letters and photos The Decent One (pg. 25)
permits us a chilling insight into a notorious
war criminal. Following the screening,
join National Film and Sound Archive CEO
Michael Loebenstein to discuss the role
that archival film plays within documentary
storytelling.
7.00PM The Decent One
PARTNER National Film and Sound Archive
SPEAKER Michael Loebenstein
for the screening only.
SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER
DYING WITH DIGNITY
Dr Sarah Edelman is a clinical psychologist,
author and President of Dying with Dignity,
NSW. Gideon Cordover is a NIDA graduate,
communcations co-ordinator at Dying with
Dignity NSW and member of the national
executive of the Voluntary Euthanasia Party.
Following the screening of The Farewell Party
(pg. 29) join Sarah and Gideon in conversation
to discuss the rights of individuals to
determine when, where and how their lives
will end.
3.50 PM The Farewell Party
PARTNER Dying With Dignity NSW
SPEAKERS Dr Sarah Edelman
& Gideon Cordover
12
MONDAY 10 NOVEMBER
EMBRACING ARCHIVE
For details see the website jiff.com.au
THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER
GRASPING THE GETT
Following the screening of Gett, The Trial
of Viviane Amsalem (pg. 16), National Council
of Jewish Women NSW presents a panel
discussion on the Jewish divorce, a gett,
in contemporary Jewish Australia.
6.30PM Gett, The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
PARTNER National Council of Jewish
Women NSW
SPEAKERS Harriet Warlow-Shill,
Rabbi Moshe D Gutnick & Elysse Borghi
THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER
SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER
MAKE ME A MATCH
CLOSING NIGHT DRINKS & FILM
To coincide with our screenings of A Match
Made in Heaven (pg. 41) and Do You Believe
in Love? (pg. 26) JIFF presents its own take
on dating. Do you love film? Are you Jewish?
And are you single? If so, speed date with style
at our match-making event! Join 30 other
singles at the AACTA Bar to meet new people
and maybe even your one and only.
7.00PM Speed Dating at AACTA Bar
PARTNER Fast Impressions
Please join us for a drink before the
spectacular and inspiring Above and Beyond
(pg. 17) to officially close the festival.
7.30PM Drinks in the AACTA bar
8.30PM Above and Beyond
TICKETS Adults $29 / Cinebuzz Students
& Seniors $26
Tickets are not available for the screening only.
Details and bookings via fastimpressions.com.au
Please note details were correct at the time of printing
and may change. Visit jiff.com.au for updated details.
13
14
Gold Coast, Perth & Auckland
GOLD COAST
PERTH
AUCKLAND
Saturday 15
Saturday 15
Sunday 16
8 . 3 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
8 . 3 0 P M Gett, The Trial of
12 . 3 0 P M Run Boy Run 49
Viviane Amsalem 16
Viviane Amsalem 16
2 . 4 5 P M Gett, The Trial of
Viviane Amsalem 16
Sunday 16
Sunday 16
5 . 10 P M Night Will Fall 44
12 . 3 0 P M Run Boy Run 49
12 . 3 0 P M Run Boy Run 49
7. 15 P M The Farewell Party 29
3 .0 0 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
2 . 5 0 P M The Last Mentsch 36
5 .0 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
5 .0 0 P M Night Will Fall 44
Sunday 23
7.0 0 P M Zero Motivation 43
7.0 0 P M 12 . 3 0 P M Young Perez 57
Sunday 23
Sunday 23
5 .0 0 P M The Decent One 25
12 . 3 0 P M Young Perez 42
12 . 3 0 P M Young Perez 42
7. 15 P M 2 . 4 5 P M The Farewell Party 29
2 . 4 5 P M The Go-Go Boys 30
4 . 5 0 P M The Decent One 25
4 . 4 5 P M The Decent One 25
7.0 0 P M 7.0 0 P M The Farewell Party 29
2 . 4 5 P M Zero Motivation 58
Above and Beyond 17
Above and Beyond 17
Available online at jiff.com.au
or at the box office.
GO L D COAS T & P ER T H O N LY Join Cinebuzz
for free and earn points throughout JIFF.
TIC K E T S
SIN G L E TIC K E T S
GO L D COAS T & P ER T H
Adults $20 / Cinebuzz Students & Seniors $18 AU C K L A N D Adults $20 / Concessions $18 EL IGIB L E CO N C ES SIO NS Students, health care card
holders and pensioners. Proof of concession must be presented.
F ES TI VA L FIL M PAS S ES GO L D COAS T & P ER T H O N LY
5
Adults $95 / Cinebuzz Students & Seniors $80
Festival passes are for separate, preselected sessions for
one person. All films selected must be different from one
another. Festival passes cannot be used for higher-priced
events. Please see the events page for specific ticketing
details. Passes are available online or at the box office.
G RO U P B O O K IN GS
Above and Beyond 17
Min. 20 people, $14/ticket
T ER MS & CO N DITIO NS Persons under the age of 15
must be in the company of a parent or adult guardian.
R EF U N DS/ E XC H A N G ES Please check your
booking carefully at the time of purchase as all
tickets are non-refundable. Tickets can be exchanged
for the equal dollar amount up to 24 hours prior to
the session start time for a $2 fee at the box office
only. Lost or stolen tickets cannot be replaced.
V EN U ES
GO L D COAS T
Event Cinemas
Robina Town Centre, Robina
(Corner Collyer Quays Lido Promenade)
Tel. — (07) 5592 7000
www.eventcinemas.com.au
P ER T H
Event Cinemas
57 Liege Street, Innaloo
Tel. — (08) 9446 8222
www.eventcinemas.com.au
AU C K L A N D
The Bridgeway Cinema
122 Queen Street, Northcote Point
Tel. — (09) 481 0040
www.bridgeway.co.nz
15
/ DIRECTOR — Ronit Elkabetz & Shlomi Elkabetz
French, Hebrew (English subtitles)
FRANCE, GERMANY, ISRAEL — 2014, 115 MIN
F E AT U R E
LANGUAGE —
O P ENIN G NIG H T FIL M —
Gett, The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
“In this expertly written, brilliantly acted film, Viviane struggles against her
passive-aggressive husband and the rabbinical judges to legally end her marriage.” — Variety
Winner of Best Film at the Jerusalem Film Festival, 2014,
screened in Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes 2014 to critical
acclaim and nominated for 12 Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars).
Gett is a contemporary exploration of divorce and longterm relationships punctuated by lighter moments. It is also
a rare insight into the rabbinical court and its treatment of
women. Viviane is refused a gett; a Jewish divorce, which
can only be given by a court of rabbinical judges and with the
consent of her husband.
The exhausting and absurd protocols Viviane is forced
to endure, and the anguish caused by not being able to start
a new life, does not stop her.
SYDNEY —
Wed 29 Oct ★ from 7.15pm
Sun 2 Nov 6.00pm
Mon 3 Nov 12.00pm
Thu 6 Nov 2.15pm
Sat 8 Nov 6.40pm
Tue 11 Nov 8.45pm
Wed 12 Nov 12.00pm
Thu 13 Nov ★ 6.30pm
Sat 15 Nov 9.15pm
MELBOURNE —
Wed 5 Nov ★ from 7.15pm
Sun 9 Nov 6.15pm
Mon 10 Nov 12.15pm
Wed 12 Nov 2.30pm
Sat 15 Nov Mon 17 Nov 6.45pm
12.00pm
Tue 18 Nov ★ 6.30pm
Thu 20 Nov 2.30pm
Sat 22 Nov
9.15pm
GOLD COAST, PERTH
& AUCKLAND — see page 15.
16
M E A N T TO B E (B AS H ER T )
USA — 2014, 87 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Roberta Grossman / LANGUAGE — English, Hebrew (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
C LOSIN G NIG H T FIL M —
Above and Beyond
“The Machal forces were the diaspora’s most important
contribution to the state of Israel.” — David Ben-Gurion
This gripping documentary unfolds like The Great Escape,
a true-life war-time adventure story. In 1948 rumors began
— the United Nations was going to establish Israel as the
Jewish state, provoking an attack from five surrounding Arab
armies. A group of World War Two pilots, American and
South African, volunteered to fight for Israel in the War of
Independence. These men were the ‘Machal’. Wearing German
helmets, uniforms and parachutes, this ragtag band of brothers
flew planes left behind in Europe by the German army
and made of spare parts. (As one Machal member recalls,
“The irony of it did not escape any of us.”)
Produced by Nancy Spielberg, Above and Beyond tells the
little-known history of the scavenging and deal-making that
supplied aircraft parts and planes for the men who turned the
tide of this war and established Israel’s now-enviable air force.
T RI U M P H O F T H E S PIRIT
SYDNEY —
Sun 16 Nov ★ from 7.30pm
MELBOURNE —
Sun 23 Nov ★ from 7.30pm
GOLD COAST, PERTH
& AUCKLAND — see page 15.
17
FRANCE — 2014, 110 MIN
Alexandre Arcady / LANGUAGE — French (English subtitles)
F E AT U R E
DIRECTOR —
24 Days
(24 JOURS)
A chillingly relevant, true-crime story
that sent shockwaves through France.
Jerusalem Film Festival 2014 and the Toronto Jewish Film
Festival. This is a white-knuckle police drama about the
real-life, anti-Semitic targeting of Ilan Halimi, a 23-year-old
Parisian-Jewish man who was kidnapped, brutally tortured
and killed by a suburban gang, The Barbarians.
This feature film is based on the book by Ruth Halimi,
his mother, and is a gripping portrayal of a family torn apart
and of an inept investigation by French police not willing to
see the crime’s racial undertones. It is, ultimately, Ruth who
realises the truth that the police are too slow to acknowledge
— her son was targeted because he is Jewish, and the
kidnappers assumed his family were wealthy. Backed by
a terrific cast including Pascal Elbe (The Other Son).
18
T RI U M P H O F T H E S PIRIT
SYDNEY —
Sun 2 Nov
8.30pm
MELBOURNE —
Sat 15 Nov
2.00pm
Thu 20 Nov 9.15pm
ISRAEL — 2013, 118 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Yossi Madmony / LANGUAGE — Hebrew (English subtitles)
F E AT U R E
A Place in Heaven
(HA’MAKOM BE GAN EDEN)
“Madmony’s ambitious screenplay masterfully merges
the epic and the anecdotal. His protagonist, like the flawed heroes
of the Old Testament, registers as recognisably human.” — Variety
Toronto Film Festival 2013. From the director of Restoration
(2011). This is a story of epic, biblical proportions that spans
40 years of Israel’s modern history, the mythology behind
the new country’s heroism and the power of allegory in
determining national and personal identity. But at its core,
this is a film about the complicated relationship between a
father and a son. Israeli director Yossi Madmony has created
a stunningly cinematic, character-driven portrait of a man
looking back at his life, his decisions and their weight.
Returning from a daring mission, a fired-up, brazen,
hungry soldier says he would happily trade his place in heaven
for shakshuka. Forty years later he is a retired general on his
deathbed. His estranged son, an ultra-orthodox Jew, tries to
save his soul.
T H E SIT UATIO N (H A M AT Z AV )
SYDNEY —
Tues 4 Nov
2.30pm
Sat 8 Nov 4.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Wed 12 Nov 2.45pm
Wed 19 Nov 9.15pm
19
ISRAEL — 2014, 240 MIN
Hagai Levi / LANGUAGE — Hebrew (English subtitles)
S ERIES
DIRECTOR —
The Accursed
From the creator of In Treatment, Hagai Levi.
“Innovative, megalomaniacal, bold, and dizzying
in its insightfulness.” — Yediot Aharonot
A TV docudrama series that covers writer Pinhas Sadeh, poet
Yona Wallach, philosopher Moshe Kroy and painter, Aviva Uri.
The subversive attitudes and experimental work of
these figures challenged the status quo. Sadeh is considered
an agitator not only for his work, but for his controversial
lifestyle. Wallach’s sexually liberated, slang-infused poetry
cemented her as a figure of rebellion and social conscience.
Kroy, the rock star-like lecturer led a tempestuous life in
Israel, then Australia. Uri pioneered the abstract-art scene
of her time. These Israeli cultural heroes dwelled on the fringes
of the mainstream, fluctuating between genius and madness.
The final episode, ‘Epilogue’ reveals this production’s
groundbreaking approach to the documentary form and
of Hagai Levi himself.
S C R EEN I N G as a four-part series with a 10-minute intermission.
20
S TO RY T EL L ERS (M AGGIDS)
SYDNEY —
Sun 9 Nov
11.00am
MELBOURNE —
Sun 16 Nov 11.15am
Wed 19 Nov 12.00pm
/ DIRECTOR — Ester Amrami
English, German, Hebrew, Yiddish (English subtitles)
GERMANY, ISRAEL — 2014, 87 MIN
LANGUAGE —
F E AT U R E
Anywhere Else
(ANDERSWO)
No matter where you go,
you cannot escape yourself.
Anywhere Else, from first-time Israeli director Ester Amrami,
was in competition at the Berlin Film Festival in 2014.
Noa has moved to Berlin to indulge her wanderlust
and do a post-graduate degree in untranslatable words.
After a period of reinventing herself away from her home
in Israel, revelling in her independence from her loving,
yet claustrophobic family, things in Berlin start to sour.
Her research is stalled and there is strain with her German
boyfriend, Jörg.
Noa escapes back home for a holiday. But when Jörg
surprises her there, her Israeli and German worlds collide,
with tense, often hilarious consequences. This is a clever
family dramedy covering the transition between new worlds
and cultural translation.
M E A N T TO B E (B AS H ER T )
SYDNEY —
Fri 31 Oct 2.10pm
Sun 2 Nov 7.00pm
Thu 6 Nov 2.30pm
Sun 9 Nov 8.30pm
Sun 16 Nov 6.50pm
MELBOURNE —
Fri 7 Nov 2.30pm
Sun 9 Nov 8.30pm
Tue 11 Nov 12.15pm
Thu 13 Nov 9.15pm
Fri 21 Nov 12.00pm
Sun 23 Nov 6.00pm
21
ISRAEL — 2013, 82 MIN
Adi Adwan / LANGUAGE — Arabic, Hebrew (English subtitles)
F E AT U R E
DIRECTOR —
Arabani
Winner Best Screenplay
Jerusalem Film Festival, 2013.
A compelling family drama about identity in a country with
many faces. After being estranged from his Druze village
and family for 17 years, Yoseph returns with his two Israeli,
teenage children. His marriage to a Jewish Israeli woman has
just ended and he plans to settle down there. His arrival causes
friction inside the closed, conservative Druze community and
also with his mother Afifa, who accepts him and his children
as part of her family again.
Amongst the politics and difficulties of integration,
the children, who only know life inside Jewish Israel, begin to
connect with their father’s culture. And despite the tensions,
Semadar, Yoseph’s daughter, unexpectedly finds love.
22
OT H ER IS R A EL
SYDNEY —
Tue 4 Nov 12.30pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 13 Nov
2.45pm
/ DIRECTOR — Christophe Cognet
English, French, German, Hebrew, Polish (English subtitles)
FRANCE, GERMANY — 2013, 104 MIN
LANGUAGE —
D O CU M EN TA RY
Because I Was a Painter
“I hardly dare to say it, but for a painter, the beauty of
it was incredible. It was absolutely vital to reproduce it.”
— Zoran Music, Dachau survivor
This is an unprecedented investigation into the artworks
created secretly by inmates in Nazi concentration camps
and by survivors after liberation.
Through interviews with the small number of living
artists who survived the Nazi camps, Because I Was a Painter
examines the stirring, secretly created images of faces, bodies
and landscapes to explore the very notion of art and an artist’s
impulse to create, even in the darkest of circumstances.
The film confronts notions of beauty and representing
the horrors of extermination. Can something created under
such circumstances, in such places, ever be beautiful?
T RI U M P H O F T H E S PIRIT
SYDNEY —
Fri 31 Oct 12.15pm
Wed 12 Nov 2.15pm
Thu 13 Nov 6.45pm
MELBOURNE —
Mon 10 Nov ★ 12.00pm
Thu 20 Nov
2.45pm
Sun 23 Nov 1.00pm
23
ISRAEL, USA — 2013, 88 MIN
Cecilia Peck / LANGUAGE — English, Hebrew, Italian (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
DIRECTOR —
Brave Miss World
Nominated for a 2014 Emmy Award, this is a portrait
of a remarkable woman whose resilience and strength of character
transcends trauma to help others.
In 1998, six weeks before being crowned Miss World, Israeli
woman Linor Abargil was raped at knifepoint.
This documentary follows her as she tours the US, South
Africa and Europe to meet other victims of rape, including
Joan Collins and Fran Drescher. She helps them — and by
extension, herself — to heal by encouraging them to speak
out. With her unique, straight-talking empathy she empowers
the women she meets by refusing to allow the stigma of shame
to compound their suffering. Followed and supported by her
family, Abargil tries to find purpose in what happened to her,
eventually drifting away from her modelling career to find
comfort in religion.
24
T RI U M P H O F T H E S PIRIT
SYDNEY —
Sun 2 Nov 1.15pm
Mon 10 Nov 6.30pm
Sun 16 Nov 2.30pm
MELBOURNE —
Sun 9 Nov 1.00pm
Mon 17 Nov 6.30pm
Sun 23 Nov 3.00pm
AUSTRIA, GERMANY, ISRAEL — 2014, 94 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Vanessa Lapa / LANGUAGE — German (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
The Decent One
Awarded Best Documentary at the Jerusalem Film Festival, 2014, screened at the
prestigious Berlinale Panorma, 2014, nominated for Best Documentary, Ophir Award
(Israeli Oscars), 2014 and an early tip for an Academy-Award nomination in 2015.
In 1945 a young soldier comes into the possession of
a suitcase filled with private letters, documents, journals
and photographs belonging to Heinrich Himmler.
The Decent One uses these extraordinary, never-beforeseen materials to access the deluded, unwavering and
unnerving life and mind of the merciless “architect of the Final
Solution”. The film divulges the contents of letters to and from
Himmler’s wife, daughter and mistress, and uses archival
footage of Himmler’s time growing up in the 1920s with Adolf
Hitler. The film describes Himmler’s ironic detachment (“In
life one must always be decent, courageous and kind-hearted,”
he writes), and how he was perceived by those closest to him.
A chilling insight into how the ideologies of a once lowermiddle-class man turned him into a notorious war criminal.
SYDNEY —
Fri 31 Oct 12.00pm
Sat 1 Nov 7.00pm
Mon 3 Nov 6.30pm
Tue 4 Nov 2.15pm
Thu 6 Nov 12.00pm
Sun 9 Nov 4.00pm
Mon 10 Nov ★ 7.00pm
Sat 15 Nov 9.30pm
MELBOURNE —
Fri 7 Nov 12.00pm
Sat 8 Nov 7.00pm
Mon 10 Nov
6.30pm
Sun 16 Nov 8.45pm
Mon 17 Nov 9.00pm
Thu 20 Nov 12.00pm
Sat 22 Nov 9.30pm
GOLD COAST, PERTH
& AUCKLAND — see page 15.
H AU N T ED HIS TO RIES
25
ISRAEL — 2013, 50 MIN
Hebrew (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
DIRECTOR — Dan Wasserman / LANGUAGE —
Do You Believe in Love?
(HA’SHADCHANIT)
Awarded Best Documentary at the 2014 Kracow Film Festival.
“I don’t believe there is love in the world. If you believe it — good for you.”
— Tova Shamsion
This charming, irreverent documentary features the
irrepressible Tova, a matchmaker who does not believe in
love, but who has made more than 550 matches in her career.
She specialises in matching people with disabilities
and Tova herself is in a wheelchair as a result of muscular
dystrophy. But her health problems do nothing to dampen
her spirit, quell her cynicism or hold back her caustic wit.
Her unique brand of tough love, her approach to her life —
which she knows will be cut short — and her commitment
to her clients is what drives this funny, heartwarming and
endlessly entertaining film. From the producers of Life
in Stills (JIFF 2012) and Before The Revolution (JIFF 2013)
this is a film about making the most of the time you have.
S C R EEN I N G W I T H S H O R T FI L M Total Loss Over 30
DI R EC TO R Sharon Danon / IS R A EL — 4 M I N
Shiri is single and over 30. Her family and country all want her to put her
womb to good use. They beg her to get married, but Shiri has other ideas...
26
M E A N T TO B E (B AS H ER T )
SYDNEY —
Wed 5 Nov
2.00pm
Fri 14 Nov 12.15pm
MELBOURNE —
Sat 8 Nov
Thu 20 Nov 1.45pm
12.15pm
ISRAEL — 2013, 108 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Nissim Dayan / LANGUAGE — Arabic, Hebrew (English subtitles)
F E AT U R E
The Dove Flyer
(MAFRIACH HAYONIM)
Three-time Ophir-Award (Israeli Oscars) nominee, 2013.
Between the years 1950–51 close to 130,000 Jews left Iraq.
The most ancient community in the world ceased to exist.
A box-office smash hit in Israel based on the best-selling book
of the same name, this is a fascinating insight into a seldomcovered part of history.
Sixteen-year-old Kabi is from a Jewish family in Iraq.
When his uncle, Hazkael, is arrested, Kabi joins the Zionist
underground. This feature film covers the final years of
the Jewish community in Baghdad in the 1950s before its
expulsion to Israel.
The film portrays a family living in a world of
contradictions and ambivalent relationships; the complex
existence of the Jewish community in Iraq, which had strong
ties to the surrounding Muslim world and Arabic culture,
yet at the same time feared for its safety.
SYDNEY —
Thu 30 Oct 9.15pm
Sat 8 Nov 7.00pm
Thu 13 Nov
9.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 6 Nov 6.45pm
Sat 15 Nov 7.00pm
Sun 23 Nov 1.15pm
IN G AT H ERIN G (K IB B U T Z G A L U YOT )
27
ISRAEL — 2013, 58 MIN
Gur Bentwich / LANGUAGE — English, Hebrew (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
DIRECTOR —
Etgar Keret: What Animal Are You?
Poignant, absurd and hilarious, What Animal Are You? is a personal
and playful journey with one of world literature’s most original voices.
This is an entertaining and intimate documentary portrait
of celebrated Israeli writer Etgar Keret. Gur Bentwich,
a filmmaker and Keret’s friend, follows him on a whirlwind
book tour to New York. Between readings and interviews,
Keret reflects on his life as a writer and the recent death
of his father.
The sharing of his off-kilter take on life, family and
career is the centre of this portrait of the artist. During the
trip Keret meets with notable New Yorkers such as writer
Nathan Englander and presenter of This American Life,
Ira Glass.
S C R EEN I N G W I T H S H O R T FI L M Knock at the Door
DI R EC TO R Eliran Elya / IS R A EL — 10 M I N
The late Assi Dayan stars as a successful writer coerced at gunpoint
to deliver a good story in this absurdist yarn based on an Etgar Keret
short story.
28
S TO RY T EL L ERS (M AGGIDS)
SYDNEY —
Sun 9 Nov 8.45pm
MELBOURNE —
Sun 9 Nov ★ 6.00pm
Sat 15 Nov
4.30pm
ISRAEL — 2014, 95 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon / LANGUAGE — Hebrew (English subtitles)
F E AT U R E
The Farewell Party
“… be moved by this tender, unexpectedly charming tale…”
— Hollywood Reporter
Nominated for the most Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars) in 2014
including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Winner of the People’s Choice Awards and the Brian Award
at Venice Film Festival 2014.
Sassy, poignant and full of heart, this is a compassionate,
off-beat comedy about life, death and friendship. Ezikiel and
his friends at a Jerusalem retirement home build a euthanasia
machine to help their terminally ill friend. When rumours
of the machine begin to spread, more and more people
ask for their help, and the group is faced with an emotional,
ethical dilemma. Not least when Ezikiel’s own wife approached
the group.
Based on the best-selling novel by Katharina Hagena,
this darkly comic, but ultimately uplifting film, comments
on our society’s obsession with youth and the wisdom of those
who have lived full lives.
SYDNEY —
Thu 30 Oct 12.00pm
Sat 1 Nov
6.45pm
Sun 2 Nov ★ 3.50pm
Mon 3 Nov 12.15pm
Tue 4 Nov 8.45pm
Sat 8 Nov 9.15pm
Tue 11 Nov 2.00pm
Wed 12 Nov 8.45pm
Sat 15 Nov 7.15pm
Sun 16 Nov 4.40pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 6 Nov 12.00pm
Sat 8 Nov 9.15pm
Tue 11 Nov 9.15pm
Thu 13 Nov 12.00pm
Sat 15 Nov
9.15pm
Sun 16 Nov ★ 3.30pm
Tue 18 Nov 2.30pm
Wed 19 Nov 9.00pm
Sat 22 Nov 7.00pm
GOLD COAST, PERTH
& AUCKLAND — see page 15.
T RI U M P H O F T H E S PIRIT
29
ISRAEL — 2014, 88 MIN
Hilla Medalia / LANGUAGE — English, Hebrew (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
DIRECTOR —
The Go-Go Boys
Screened as part of Cannes Classics 2014.
“They made movies, talked a great game and put showmanship
back into show business.” — The Hollywood Reporter
The Go-Go Boys tells the inside story of two Israeli-born
cousins, the late Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who,
in pursuit of the ‘American dream’, turned the Hollywood
establishment upside down. Together they produced more
than 300 films and founded the most powerful independent
film company in the world, Cannon Films, which was
responsible for Israeli and mainstream, Hollywoodblockbuster, action/exploitation hits during the duo’s 1980s
hey day, starring the likes of Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude
Van Damme and Charles Bronson.
Up close and personal, and with the complete
cooperation of the film’s subjects, the film examines the
complex relationship between two contradictory personalities,
whose combined force fueled their successes and eventual
split. A film about filmmaking and two dogged, exceptional
characters with modest origins taking on the big boys.
SYDNEY —
Sun 2 Nov 8.45pm
Wed 5 Nov 1.45pm
Fri 7 Nov 2.15pm
Wed 12 Nov 6.30pm
Thu 13 Nov 12.15pm
Sat 15 Nov 5.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 6 Nov 9.10pm
Mon 10 Nov 2.30pm
Sun 16 Nov ★ 8.30pm
Sat 22 Nov 4.30pm
GOLD COAST & PERTH —
see page 15.
PA R T N ER DIS C O U N T
Jewish Museum of Australia
Present your The Go-Go Boys
cinema ticket at the JMA to receive
I N H O N O U R O F Les Erdi OAM
50% off entry to the temporary Andy
Warhol’s Jewish Geniuses exhibition
(20 Nov — 24 May).
30
A L L T H E WO R L D ’ S A S TAG E
ISRAEL — 2013, 107 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Shirly Berkovitz / LANGUAGE — English, Hebrew(English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
The Good Son
“The Good Son tells the poignant story of a young Israeli man… who takes
the radical step of changing his gender — without telling his family first.”
— International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, 2013
This is the incredible story of Or, a 22-year-old Israeli
man who secretly plans to have sex-reassignment surgery.
Or’s own home videos make up the first part of the film —
the emotionally gruelling lead-up to the procedure, lying
to his family about going to university abroad and stealing
from them for the operation in Thailand.
Then he teams up with filmmaker Shirly Berkovitz, who
not only documents the remainder of Or’s lonely and guiltridden journey through recovery and personal reinvention,
but also acts as friend and confidant. This is an extraordinary
tale about overcoming self-doubt, conflicted loyalty and
being true to one’s self.
SYDNEY —
Sun 2 Nov 11.00am
Tue 4 Nov 9.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Tue 11 Nov 9.00pm
Fri 14 Nov 2.45pm
S C R EEN I N G W I T H S H O R T FI L M Salomea’s Nose
DI R EC TO R Susan Korda / G ER M A N Y — 2 0 M I N
Salomea remembers the day her beloved brothers, Max and Karl,
disfigured her for life, The Day of Tragedy. A tragicomedy about sibling
rivalry, disfigurement and the pain that binds us. With Barbara Sukowa
as the voice of Salomea.
OT H ER IS R A EL
31
GERMANY, ISRAEL, UNITED KINGDOM, USA — 2014, 99 MIN
Nadav Schirman / LANGUAGE — Arabic, English, Hebrew (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
DIRECTOR —
The Green Prince
Winner Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, 2014.
Nominee Best Documentary Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars), 2014.
This is a gripping account of terror and betrayal, based on the
New York Times best-selling book, Son of Hamas, a memoir by
Mosab Hassan Yousef.
Yousef, a Palestinian from Ramallah, grows up ready
to fight Israel. He is arrested for smuggling guns at 17,
interrogated by Israel’s security service and sent to prison.
While there he is turned, and he agrees to spy for Israel.
For him, there is no greater shame. For his Shin Bet handler,
there is no greater prize — operating the oldest son of a
founding member of Hamas. The Green Prince is less about
political struggle, though, than it is about the personal toll that
these men’s moral choices have on them, and the relationship
between ‘source’ and ‘handler’ — adversaries who cannot
help but be emotionally tied to each other.
AUS T R A L I A N E XC L US I V E Each screening will be introduced
by international guest, director Nadav Schirman and will conclude
with a Q&A.
32
T H E SIT UATIO N (H A M AT Z AV )
SYDNEY —
Thu 6 Nov ★ 6.30pm
Fri 7 Nov ★ 11.00am
MELBOURNE —
Sat 8 Nov ★ 6.45pm
Sun 9 Nov ★ 3.30pm
ISRAEL — 2013, 50 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Ayelet Dekel / LANGUAGE — Hebrew (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
The Israeli Code
“There is a great sense of national pride. In a sense
there is even great national arrogance… We love flags.”
A light-hearted but intelligent documentary that explores
the quirks, intricacies and chutzpah of Israeli society.
The Israeli Code examines the Israeli public sphere with
sociologist Gad Yair and photojournalist Alex Levac who
untangle, with humour and a typically Israeli no-nonsense
approach, the DNA of a society and its love affair with mobile
phones, public displays of patriotism and the ever-pervasive
use of guilt as emotional currency. By scrutinising the Israeli
way of life, with two filmmakers who, for a living, examine
it without bias, this film is an accessible way to survey the
complexities of contemporary Israeli life for the uninitiated,
and a delightful analysis for those who have experienced it
first hand.
SYDNEY —
Mon 3 Nov 8.45pm
Thu 13 Nov 12.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Mon 10 Nov 9.30pm
Sun 23 Nov 11.15am
S C R EEN I N G W I T H S H O R T FI L M Eden Rests
DI R EC TO R Natalie Chen, Hadar Sitruk, Ofer Kapota / IS R A EL — 6 M I N
Tel Aviv’s history comes alive through this beautiful animation
and the story of the first cinema — The Eden.
T H E SIT UATIO N (H A M AT Z AV )
33
ISRAEL, FRANCE, BELGIUM — 2014, 56 MIN
Yair Qedar / LANGUAGE — Hebrew (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
DIRECTOR —
King of the Jews
(MELECH HA’YEHUDIM)
Official Selection, Docaviv, 2014.
By the age of 30 he was crowned Israel’s national poet,
affectionately known as The King of The Jews. When he died
in 1934, 100,000 people attended his funeral in Tel Aviv.
But who was Chaim Nachman Bialik? This documentary,
narrated by Chaim Topol (Fiddler on the Roof) puts Bialik’s
poetry at the centre of this loving investigation.
This documentary also looks at the role Bialik played
in the collective Israeli consciousness and his influence on
founding the burgeoning Jewish state. Beautifully animated,
and put to music in songs sung by renowned Israeli singer,
Ninette, this portrayal of the life, art and influence of Bialik
is as beautiful and profound as any of this great artist’s poems.
S C R EEN I N G W I T H S H O R T FI L M What Do We Have in Our Pockets?
DI R EC TO R Goran Dukic / IS R A EL — 4 M I N
A most unusual love story unravels when the objects in a young
man’s pockets come to life. Based on a short story by Etgar Keret (p. 28).
34
S TO RY T EL L ERS (M AGGIDS)
SYDNEY —
Tue 11 Nov 6.45pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 6 Nov 2.45pm
Tue 18 Nov 6.45pm
USA — 1939, 88 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Joseph Seiden / LANGUAGE — Yiddish (English subtitles)
F E AT U R E
Kol Nidre
The original, long-lost classic by Yiddish cinema pioneer
Joseph Seiden is restored to its former glory.
A bissel of this, a bissel of that, Kol Nidre has a little bit of
everything. This iconic film was first screened in New York
in September 1939 and has been delighting audiences ever
since. This musical melodrama tells the story of Jenny,
a young woman torn between two childhood boyfriends.
Refusing to marry Joseph, who has become a rabbi, she
elopes instead — causing scandal. Surprisingly risqué for
its time, Kol Nidre is a rousing tearjerker that explores
assimilation, cultural identity, family, and generational
conflict, gender roles, and marital expectations.
Starring Lili Liliana and Leon Liebgold, the renowned
Polish husband and wife (who also star in The Dybbuk),
comedienne Yetta Zwerling and entertainer Cantor Leibele
Waldman, with music by Sholem Secunda.
M E A N T TO B E (B AS H ER T )
SYDNEY —
Sun 9 Nov 1.15pm
MELBOURNE —
Tue 11 Nov ★ 12.00pm
Sun 16 Nov 1.00pm
FI L M R ES TO R AT IO N A N D N E W
EN G L IS H S U B T I T L ES BY —
The National Centre for Jewish Film
www.jewishfilm.org
35
/ DIRECTOR — Pierre-Henry Salfati
English, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Yiddish (English subtitles)
GERMANY — 2013, 93 MIN
F E AT U R E
LANGUAGE —
The Last Mentsch
(DER LETZTE MENTSCH)
The past informs identity, but even more importantly,
so can living in the present.
Seventy-year-old Marcus Schwartz, who now lives in
Germany, has concealed and rejected his Jewish heritage
after surviving the horrors of Auschwitz.
As he begins to think about the end of his life, Marcus
decides he wants to be buried in a Jewish cemetery. But first
he must prove he is Jewish. To make his journey by car to
his old village on the Hungarian-Romanian border, he enters
into a partnership with a young Turkish-German woman
fleeing her own checkered past.
A cinematic and heartfelt road movie, powerful
in its depictions of identity in crisis and coming to terms
with the past.
36
ROA D T RIP SYDNEY —
Thu 30 Oct 2.20pm
Sat 1 Nov 4.15pm
Mon 10 Nov 9.00pm
Tue 11 Nov 2.30pm
MELBOURNE —
Sat 8 Nov 4.15pm
Thu 13 Nov 2.30pm
Mon 17 Nov 6.45pm
Sat 22 Nov 2.00pm
PERTH — see page 15.
ISRAEL — 2013, 133 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Assi Dayan / LANGUAGE — Hebrew (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
Life as a Rumour
“Assi Dayan [tells] the story of his life in his voice, with captivating honesty…
The result is one of the most powerful documentaries ever made in Israel.”
— Yedioth Aharonot
Best Documentary, Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars), 2013.
Assi Dayan (1945—2014) devoted his life to distancing
himself from his father, famous Israeli general, Moshe Dayan.
The actor, director, writer, and producer was one of Israel’s
most famous and provocative filmmakers, as well as a
womaniser, alcoholic and drug addict. This is also the story of the Dayan family, of intergenerational struggle and the relationship between a founding
father and a rebellious son. Born just before the Jewish state
was declared, Assi Dayan’s tumultuous life story and the
narrative of the nation merge and clash. With archival footage,
private films, photos and clips from his many iconic movies,
this film shows Dayan’s success in Israel and abroad —
which was interrupted time and again by psychiatric illness.
This is Assi Dayan, with heart-breaking honesty, taking
stock of his life.
A L L T H E WO R L D ’ S A S TAG E
SYDNEY —
Mon 10 Nov 9.10pm
MELBOURNE —
Mon 17 Nov 9.15pm
37
ISRAEL — 2013, 92 MIN
Nurit Kedar & Yaron Shani / LANGUAGE — Arabic, Hebrew (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
DIRECTOR —
Life Sentences
(MISHPATAI HAIM)
“A remarkable documentary portrait of a man whose
very body and soul reflect Israel and Palestine’s complexities.”
— Jerusalem Film Festival Jury, 2014
Best Documentary Jerusalem Film Festival, 2013. For the
first part of his life, Nimer Ahmed lives with his sister and
parents; his Jewish mother and Arab father in an Arab-Jewish
community. When, in the late 1960s it is discovered that
Ahmed’s father, Fauzi al Nimer, is behind dozens of terror
attacks in Israel, his mother flees with the two children, taking
refuge in an Orthodox community in Montreal, Canada.
The family keeps its past a secret.
More than a simple portrait of the human cost of the
Arab-Israeli conflict, Life Sentences is about Ahmed’s isolated
childhood and conflicted adulthood, and the power of family
secrets to shape and stunt identity. A deeply psychological
family drama, this film also shows Ahmed’s healing through
facing his father and his past.
38
T H E SIT UATIO N (H A M AT Z AV )
SYDNEY —
Sat 1 Nov 4.30pm
Wed 12 Nov 9.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Tue 11 Nov 2.30pm
Wed 19 Nov
6.45pm
USA — 2013, 85 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Jeremy Goldscheider & Richard Goldgewicht / LANGUAGE — English
D O CU M EN TA RY
Lost Town
How far will you go to find yourself?
Avrom Bendavid-Val obsessively searches for the lost Polish
town of Trochenbrod — made famous by Jonathan Safran
Foer’s book, Everything is Illuminated — to understand better
his deceased father.
All but 33 of Trochenbrod’s 5,000 Jewish townspeople
were killed by Nazis. Bendavid Val’s search for the town, and
efforts to recreate its stories and sense of community triggers
a resurgence of interest in it. He documents the stories of the
few remaining survivors who haven’t seen each other in more
than 60 years, and brings them together at the now empty site
where Trochenbrod once stood.
Lost Town uses original animation and survivor
testimonials to tell this story of how far one man will go
to find and claim his identity and to connect to his past.
T RI U M P H O F T H E S PIRIT
SYDNEY —
Wed 5 Nov 7.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Wed 12 Nov 6.45pm
Mon 17 Nov 2.45pm
39
/ DIRECTOR — Guy Nattiv & Erez Tadmor
English, Greek, Hebrew (English subtitles)
ISRAEL — 2013, 100 MIN
F E AT U R E
LANGUAGE —
Magic Men
(HA-BEN SHEL ELOHIM)
Nominated for Best Actor and Best Picture
Awards (Ophir Awards, Israeli Oscars), 2013.
A beautiful and quirky film about living life to the fullest,
second chances and the magic of everyday life. Seventyeight-year-old Avraham is a Greek Holocaust survivor and
an amateur magician.
He is reunited with his estranged, Hassidic son,
Yehuda, for a road trip through Greece in search of the
man who saved his life more than 50 years ago.
Along the way, the duo encounters the beautiful
Greek prostitute, Maria, who joins them on their journey.
Meanwhile, Yehuda is on a quest for his father’s acceptance.
A heart-warming story of a father and son full of magic
and lessons about the powerful pull of the past.
40
ROA D T RIP
SYDNEY —
Mon 3 Nov 2.30pm
Thu 6 Nov 9.00pm
Tue 11 Nov 12.15pm
Wed 12 Nov 6.45pm
Sun 16 Nov 12.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 13 Nov 6.45pm
Wed 19 Nov
12.15pm
Sat 22 Nov 1.45pm
ISRAEL — 2014, 75 MIN
/ DIRECTOR — Natalie Ginat, Ronnie Kay & Shay Werker
Hebrew (English subtitles)
LANGUAGE —
D O CU M EN TA RY
A Match Made in Heaven
(SHIDUCH MI SHAMAIM)
Unprecedented access into the mysterious and veiled matchmaking
culture of the Haredi (ultra-orthodox) community in Israel.
A Match Made in Heaven is an intimate, behind-the-scenes
look at the process of finding a mate for ultra-orthodox people.
The film’s narrative, which follows a series of characters
over their journey to find a partnership, and following that,
hopefully, love, also explores the personal and family pressures
that inevitably also play a role in the search these men and
women go through.
Via the personal stories, comments and journeys of its
subjects, the film gives the audience a window into what these
communities really believe about marriage. It also shines
a light on the rituals and customs that, from an outsider’s
perspective, seem restrictive and dated. At a time when
marriage in the modern, secular world is in decline, this film
asks: why do Haredi relationships last? And how does it work?
M E A N T TO B E (B AS H ER T )
SYDNEY —
Thu 6 Nov 6.45pm
MELBOURNE —
Sun 16 Nov 3.45pm
Thu 20 Nov
6.45pm
41
USA, FRANCE — 2014, 104 MIN
Israel Horovitz / LANGUAGE — English
F E AT U R E
DIRECTOR —
My Old Lady
A quirky and delightful romantic comedy
starring some of Hollywood’s best. Screened at the
Toronto International Film Festival, 2014.
An uplifting, superbly acted story about what life can do to
you while you’re making other plans, and about making the
most of the time we have.
A down-and-out, harried New Yorker (Kevin Kline)
travels to Paris to sell a valuable apartment he has inherited
from his estranged father. Once there he finds the apartment
inhabited by a refined older lady (Academy-Award winner
Maggie Smith) and her daughter (Kristin Scott Thomas).
She tells him that, legally, he cannot sell the apartment until
she dies.
My Old Lady is the directorial debut of renowned
playwright/screenwriter Israel Horovitz.
42
M E A N T TO B E (B AS H ER T )
SYDNEY —
Thu 30 Oct 7.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 6 Nov 7.00pm
IRELAND — 2013, 66 MIN
DIRECTOR —
David Cairns & Paul Duane / LANGUAGE — English, French (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
Natan
“Paul Duane and David Cairns [have unearthed] an
extraordinary, largely forgotten story and invested it with eccentric
energy in this superb documentary.” — Irish Times
Bernard Natan is considered by some to be one of the fathers
of French cinema. He dominated the French film industry
during the 1920s and 1930s and made the renowned Pathé
film company a success and produced Le Misérables and
Joan of Arc. So how is it that he has been all but forgotten?
Natan is an investigation into an intriguing and
complicated character who, along with commercially
successful and lauded films to his name, also had an alleged
career in early gay and BDSM pornographic movies.
This documentary finally brings the truth to light by
digging up an extraordinary tale that writes Natan back
into the history of European cinema. It also asks what,
after imprisonment and death, is left of a person but their
reputation? And how does what is believed to be the truth
about a person inform their legacy?
A L L T H E WO R L D ’ S A S TAG E
SYDNEY —
Mon 10 Nov 2.45pm
Sun 16 Nov 12.15pm
MELBOURNE —
Sat 15 Nov 1.45pm
Sun 23 Nov 11.00am
43
ISRAEL, UK — 2014, 90 MIN
André Singer / LANGUAGE — English
D O CU M EN TA RY
DIRECTOR —
Night Will Fall
“A remarkable and often harrowing documentary that interweaves horrific
footage… with a Hollywood twist involving Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder.
Night Will Fall is a must-see documentary.” — Screen Daily
Winner Jewish Experience Award Jerusalem Film Festival,
2014. Winner Honourable Mention Sheffield Doc/Fest,
2014. During the liberation of the concentration camps,
allied soldiers and cameramen, who were the first to witness
the almost unbelievable scenes, shot reels and reels of footage,
documenting what they saw.
With this footage, film producer Sydney Bernstein,
together with a team that included Alfred Hitchcock, began
to make German Concentration Camps Factual Survey.
They worked with and edited thousands of hours of material
with the aim of creating a document that would show the world
and the German people what had happened. But the project
was shelved and the footage lay, untouched, in the London
Imperial War Museum. Until now.
Night Will Fall, tells of how the project was finally,
only this year, released in all its uncompromising detail.
SYDNEY —
Thu 30 Oct 12.15pm
Sat 1 Nov
9.15pm
Tue 4 Nov 6.45pm
Wed 5 Nov 12.00pm
Fri 7 Nov 12.00pm
Sun 9 Nov 6.15pm
Tue 11 Nov 12.00pm
Thu 13 Nov 9.15pm
Sat 15 Nov 4.40pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 6 Nov 12.15pm
Sun 9 Nov 8.45pm
Tue 11 Nov ★ 6.30pm
Wed 12 Nov 12.00pm
Fri 14 Nov 12.00pm
Sun 16 Nov 6.00pm
Tue 18 Nov 12.00pm
Thu 20 Nov 9.00pm
Sat 22 Nov 4.15pm
GOLD COAST, PERTH
& AUCKLAND — see page 15.
44
H AU N T ED HIS TO RIES
/ DIRECTOR — Avraham Kushnir
English, French, German, Hebrew (English subtitles)
ISRAEL — 2014, 105 MIN
LANGUAGE —
F E AT U R E
Operation Sunflower
This is a thrilling, fictionalised account of how Israel built
its nuclear capabilities and the moral implications.
It is the 1960s and Israeli intelligence is nervous. Iran is
bringing missiles out of its bunkers. Soon it will be just a ‘push
of the button’ away from being able to launch them at Israel.
Racing against time, the head of the Mossad and a reluctantly
recruited scientist work to create a nuclear option for Israel.
Together with France and Germany, they must find a way
to protect Israel against its potentially imminent destruction,
while facing their own moral qualms about building a bomb
capable of unthinkable destruction. A tale of mistrust
and paranoia, set in the recent past, that resonates as loudly
as ever today.
T H E SIT UATIO N (H A M AT Z AV )
SYDNEY —
Thu 13 Nov 2.15pm
MELBOURNE —
Fri 14 Nov 12.15pm
45
/ DIRECTOR — Hannah Azoulay-Hasfari
Arabic, Hebrew, Moroccan (English subtitles)
ISRAEL — 2013, 90 MIN
F E AT U R E
LANGUAGE —
Orange People
A film celebrating Israeli-Moroccan culture, female relationships
and the quirks in every family, no matter how bizarre.
Winner of the Jury Prize at the Women’s Film Festival
in Rehovot in 2013. Orange People offers an insight into
the vibrant cultural life of ancient and modern Moroccan
culture — with a touch of the culinary and supernatural.
Grandma Zohara occupies a special role within the Moroccan
community in Israel. By holding an object belonging to
her clients, she can access a family’s past through her
dreams. With her insights she advises people who come
to her.
But Grandma Zohara is ready to retire. And she discovers
that her daughter, Simone, also has the same power in her
dreaming. Simone, however, has ambitions other than taking
over her mother’s role as community mystic.
46
SYDNEY —
Tue 4 Nov Wed 12 Nov Fri 14 Nov 7.00pm
2.30pm
12.20pm
MELBOURNE —
Tue 11 Nov 6.45pm
Tue 18 Nov 12.15pm
Fri 21 Nov 12.15pm
IN G AT H ERIN G (K IB B U T Z G A L U YOT )
US — 2013, 96 MIN
DIRECTOR —
William Gazecki / LANGUAGE — English
D O CU M EN TA RY
The Outrageous Sophie Tucker
“What the hell! I am what I am. And if the man I’m with
can’t handle me, you better believe I’ll find one who can.”
Before Mae West, Bette Midler, Madonna and Lady Gaga,
Sophie Tucker enchanted her audiences with her bold,
bawdy and brassy style. This documentary covers the early
days of this iconic Vaudeville superstar’s career as she ruled
1920s flapper culture in the US. The film uses Tucker’s 400plus recently discovered personal scrapbooks to retrace her
60-year show-biz career, including a 1962 tour to Australia.
Nicknamed ‘The Last of the Red Hot Mamas’, Tucker
was born to an orthodox Jewish family. Always pushing
the boundaries, her blues-infused songs, sexual innuendo,
infectious charisma and irreverent humour catapulted her
to stardom. She was responsible for signature tunes such
as Some of These Days and My Yiddishe Mama. This loving
portrait of the entertainer is fun, sassy and uplifting.
A L L T H E WO R L D ’ S A S TAG E
SYDNEY —
Thu 30 Oct 6.45pm
Sun 2 Nov 3.40pm
Mon 3 Nov 2.20pm
Sun 9 Nov Mon 10 Nov 3.30pm
12.15pm
Fri 14 Nov 1.45pm
Sun 16 Nov 4.15pm
MELBOURNE —
Sun 9 Nov 3.45pm
Mon 10 Nov 2.45pm
Sun 16 Nov 11.00am
Wed 19 Nov 2.45pm
Sun 23 Nov 3.45pm
47
USA — 2014, 101 MIN
Nancy Kates / LANGUAGE — English
D O CU M EN TA RY
DIRECTOR —
Regarding Susan Sontag
Winner Tribeca Film Festival Special Jury Mention, 2014.
“A vast look at the life of the cultural critic, from her personal love life
to her bold, brilliant writings on art and politics.” — The Huffington Post
Passionate and gracefully outspoken throughout her career,
Susan Sontag became one of the most important literary,
political and feminist icons of her generation.
The documentary explores Sontag’s life through
images, archival materials, accounts from friends, family,
colleagues, and lovers, as well as her own words, read by
actress Patricia Clarkson.
This film is a fascinating look at a towering cultural critic
and writer whose works on photography, war, illness, and
terrorism still resonate today. More than any other thinker
of her day, Sontag was watched, viewed, photographed and
stared at. And she looked back.
48
S TO RY T EL L ERS (M AGGIDS)
SYDNEY —
Wed 5 Nov 9.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Wed 12 Nov 9.15pm
Mon 17 Nov 12.15pm
/ DIRECTOR — Pepe Danquart
German, Hebrew, Polish, Yiddish (English subtitles)
FRANCE, GERMANY — 2014, 112 MIN
LANGUAGE —
F E AT U R E
Run Boy Run
(LAUF JUNGE LAUF)
A cinematically epic, true story of the way in which one boy’s
will to survive defined him and inspired others.
A superb film adaptation based on Uri Orlev’s 2004 novel
about the survival of Yoram Friedman, featuring exceptional
performances and stunning cinematography.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Pepe Danquart
tells the remarkable true story of nine-year-old Srulik, who
escaped the Warsaw ghetto in 1942 and learned to survive
in the wilderness, until winter forced him to seek shelter.
Then, after changing his name to Jurek, he passed himself
off as a Christian orphan and survived the war under
incredible circumstances while being hunted down by
those who suspected his true identity.
T RI U M P H O F T H E S PIRIT SYDNEY —
Thu 30 Nov 2.10pm
Wed 5 Nov 8.50pm
Sat 8 Nov 4.30pm
Sun 16 Nov 2.15pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 6 Nov 2.30pm
Wed 12 Nov 9.00pm
Sat 15 Nov 4.15pm
GOLD COAST, PERTH
& AUCKLAND — see page 15.
49
ISRAEL — 2013, 110 MIN (3 EPISODES)
Alon Zingman / LANGUAGE — Hebrew (English subtitles)
S ERIES
DIRECTOR —
Shtisel
Winner of Best TV Drama, Best Director, Best Script, Best Actor
and more at the Israeli Academy Awards for Television, 2013.
This critically and internationally acclaimed TV series has
hooked audiences with its portrayal of the Shtisels, an ultraorthodox family living in the Mea Shearim neighbourhood
of Jerusalem.
A shy and introspective man, Akiva is the youngest of
the Shtisel family. He lives with his father, Shulem, a rabbi at
the local yeshiva where Akiva takes a teaching job. Akiva is
still mourning the passing of his mother, and is hesitant to
fulfil his father’s wish that he find a wife. That is, until he meets
Elisheva, the twice-widowed mother of one of his students. Shtisel is a fascinating glimpse into a tight-knit religious
community. It is also a heartfelt representation of the universal
issues of love and loss that affect all families and communities.
50
IS R A EL I T V S P OT L IG H T
SYDNEY —
Mon 3 Nov 6.45pm
MELBOURNE —
Sun 9 Nov 11.15am
Mon 10 Nov ★ 6.45pm
USA — 2014, 75 MIN
DIRECTOR —
John Lollos / LANGUAGE — English, Yiddish (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
Theodore Bikel:
In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem
No one reflected the Yiddish world better than Sholom Aleichem,
whose characters and stories have kept Yiddish culture a living, breathing,
questioning, bickering, laughing and crying thing.
The legendary Theodore Bikel, the greatest living performer
of Sholom Aleichem’s work, has much in common with
Aleichem — wisdom, humor, humanity, talent and a gift
for Yiddish.
In this film, narrated by Alan Alda, the now 90-yearold Bikel’s performance of selected stories, songs and
monologs from his stage show, Sholom Aleichem: Laughter
Through Tears, are intertwined with an examination of
Sholom Aleichem’s life and work. It is a joyous mix of acting,
storytelling, music and biography.
C O U R T ESY O F The National Center for Jewish Film
www.jewishfilm.org
A L L T H E WO R L D ’ S A S TAG E
SYDNEY —
Fri 31 Oct 2.30pm
Sun 2 Nov
1.45pm
Sun 9 Nov 6.00pm
Wed 12 Nov 12.30pm
Sun 16 Nov 6.30pm
MELBOURNE —
Fri 7 Nov Sun 9 Nov 12.15pm
1.15pm
Thu 13 Nov 12.15pm
Sun 16 Nov 6.15pm
Tue 18 Nov 2.45pm
Wed 19 Nov 6.30pm
Sun 23 Nov 5.15pm
51
/ DIRECTOR — Hannah Espia
English, Filipino, Hebrew, Tagalog (English subtitles)
PHILLIPINES — 2013, 93 MIN
F E AT U R E
LANGUAGE —
Transit
“The deportation of children born to foreign workers in Israel comes
under the spotlight in [this] affecting human drama.” — Variety
Multi-award-winning film including Best Director, Best
Actress in the Philippine Film Awards and the Philippines’
submission to the 2014 Oscars. Transit is a window into the
world of foreign workers in Israel, told by families threatened
with having their children deported to the Philippines.
It tells the story of Moises, a Filipino single father
working as a caregiver in Herzliya. Moises and his Filipino
neighbors, Janet, and her daughter Yael, find out the Israeli
government plans to deport children of foreign workers.
Afraid of the new law, they decide to hide their children.
This story of conflicted identity and the cultural
pressures of fitting in is an insight into a side of Israel
not often talked about. One that, for outsiders, can throw
their futures and allegiances into turmoil.
52
OT H ER IS R A EL
SYDNEY —
Thu 6 Nov 12.15pm
MELBOURNE —
Sun 9 Nov 11.00am
ISRAEL — 2014, 49 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Lina Chaplin / LANGUAGE — Hebrew, Russian (English subtitles)
D O CU M EN TA RY
Voices From the Booth
Official Selection at
Docaviv International Film Festival
In Israel, you meet them many times a day; at the
gates of schools, the entrances to underground parking,
shopping malls and the luxurious lobbies of high-tech
firms. There is a community of guards, approximately
180,000, mostly of Russian origin, who work in security
booths across Israel. The protagonists in this optimistic,
slice-of-life film immigrated to Israel leaving behind lives
as intellectuals, musicians, writers and one, as a surgeon.
This film gives voice to what they gave up and explores
how these members of blue-collar society in Israel have
kept their talents, and therefore their spirits, alive.
SYDNEY —
Wed 5 Nov 12.15pm
Sun 9 Nov 12.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Sat 8 Nov Wed 12 Nov
4.30pm
12.15pm
S C R EEN I N G W I T H S H O R T FI L M I Got Rhythm
DI R EC TO R Sheer Levav / IS R A EL — 5 M I N
Zelig is a former famous jazz musician and a lonely, bitter widow.
Sheniqua is a foreign worker from Africa. They find a way to converse
through a joint love of music and rhythm.
IN G AT H ERIN G (K IB B U T Z G A L U YOT )
53
ISRAEL — 2013, 112 MIN
Avi Nesher / LANGUAGE — Hebrew (English subtitles)
F E AT U R E
DIRECTOR —
The Wonders
Nominated for Best Actor Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars), 2013.
“A brilliant, elegant, very original mystery.” — The Jerusalem Post
From one of Israel’s most beloved directors, Avi Nesher
(Turn Left at the End of the World, The Secrets, The
Matchmaker) comes this offbeat mystery which combines
film noir, psychological drama and quirky animation —
all put to a contemporary, urgent soundtrack by the hugely
popular Israeli band, Hadag Nahash.
Arnav, a graffiti artist in Jerusalem, witnesses the
kidnapping of a mysterious stranger. The captive, Rabbi
Shmaya Knafo, is believed to be a modern-day prophet.
Arnav is determined to find out what is going on.
Is Rabbi Knafo a prophet, or just a clever con man?
And who is this mysterious woman who seems to be involved?
This is a visually stunning, quirky ride full of twists, turns
and shocking revelations.
54
M E A N T TO B E (B AS H ER T )
SYDNEY —
Tue 11 Nov 9.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 13 Nov 9.00pm
/ DIRECTOR — Ibtisam Mara’ana Menuhin
Arabic, Hebrew (English subtitles)
ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN — 2014, 73 MIN
LANGUAGE —
D O CU M EN TA RY
Write Down, I Am an Arab
“An appropriately poetic portrait of this influential voice…
which ultimately teaches how much easier it is to love than to hate.”
— Point of View Magazine
Winner of the Audience Award at Doc Aviv, 2014 and
Official Selection Hot Docs, 2014. Mahmoud Darwish was
the Palestinian national poet and one of the most influential
writers of the Arab world. In 1964 Darwish was imprisoned
for his defiant poem, Write Down, I Am an Arab.
At around this time he met and fell in love with Tamar
Ben-Ami, a young Jewish-Israeli to whom he wrote love
letters in Hebrew, which she kept secret for decades.
Darwish was speech writer and confidant to Yasser Arafat,
and for years during and after his exile, was a powerful voice
for Palestinian people until his death in 2008.
Through his poetry, secret love letters and exclusive
archival materials, this film unearths the story behind the
man who spoke for the Palestinian people.
T H E SIT UATIO N (H A M AT Z AV )
SYDNEY —
Thu 6 Nov
9.15pm
MELBOURNE —
Sat 8 Nov 2.00pm
Thu 13 Nov 6.30pm
55
SWITZERLAND, USA, FRANCE — 2014, 74 MIN
Sabine Gisiger / LANGUAGE — English
D O CU M EN TA RY
DIRECTOR —
Yalom’s Cure
A fascinating look into a brilliant mind. Here, Yalom provides
profound insight into his own inner life and work.
An important film event for anyone interested in the human
mind and our capacity to understand it and each other.
Best-selling author, popular scholar and existentialist,
80-year-old Irvin D. Yalom is one of the most influential
living psychotherapists in the world.
This documentary is a journey through the many layers
of the human mind, in which Yalom shares his insights
and wisdom, which stress the importance of relationships.
Dr Yalom’s books have sold millions of copies and critics
describe him as ‘mind-bending’, ‘stunning’, ‘inspiring’ and
‘life-changing’.
56
S TO RY T EL L ERS (M AGGIDS)
SYDNEY —
Mon 3 Nov 9.00pm
MELBOURNE —
Mon 10 Nov 9.00pm
Fri 21 Nov 2.30pm
FRANCE, ISRAEL, BULGARIA — 2013, 103 MIN
DIRECTOR —
Jacques Ouaniche / LANGUAGE — French (English subtitles)
F E AT U R E
Young Perez
The moving story of the world-champion boxer whose physical
and inner strength helped him survive a boxing ring in Auschwitz.
Based on the true story of the rise and fall of world-champion
boxer, Victor ‘Young’ Perez. The Jewish Perez flees Tunisia
for France and becomes the youngest world champion in
boxing history in the 1930s. But his career and personal life
spiral out of control. Alone, and with his reputation in tatters,
he is deported to Auschwitz where he is forced to box for the
entertainment of a camp commander.
Cinematically rich scenes of his halcyon days as a celebrity
athlete, his relationship with Italian actress Mireille Balin and
the depiction of his fall from grace make Young Perez a story
about strength and redemption. Brahim Asloum — a real-life
boxing champion who plays Perez — brings all the intensity
of a champion who endures an incredible fall, to this
complicated role.
T RI U M P H O F T H E S PIRIT
SYDNEY —
Wed 5 Nov 6.30pm
Mon 10 Nov 12.00pm
Sun 2 Nov 11.15am
Fri 14 Nov 2.30pm
MELBOURNE —
Fri 7 Nov 2.45pm
Wed 12 Nov 6.30pm
Tue 18 Nov 9.00pm
Fri 21 Nov 2.45pm
GOLD COAST, PERTH
& AUCKLAND — see page 15.
57
ISRAEL — 2014, 100 MIN
Talia Lavie / LANGUAGE — Hebrew (English subtitles)
F E AT U R E
DIRECTOR —
Zero Motivation
Already one of Israel’s most successful films and nominated
for 12 Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars), 2014. Winner of Best Feature
and the prestigious Nora Ephron Prize, Tribeca Film Festival, 2014.
An army story with a difference — here, at a remote desert
army base in southern Israel, the female clerical staff are at
the centre of the action. Zero Motivation tells the stories of
three soldiers engaged in battles against the absurdity of the
bureaucracy that governs their lives, armed with staple guns,
paper shredders and strongly worded letters.
After growing up on macho, male-dominated films
about war and heroism, first-time feature director Talia Lavie
extends the same attention to the women who do compulsory
military service in offices all over Israel.
An hilarious, poignant and crowd-pleasing black
comedy, Zero Motivation will resonate with anyone who
has ever done menial, seemingly pointless work, while trying
to maintain their love life, sense of dignity and sanity.
SYDNEY —
C O - P R ES EN T ED BY See-Saw Films
Thu 30 Oct 9.00pm
Sat 1 Nov 9.00pm
Tue 4 Nov 12.00pm
Fri 7 Nov 2.00pm
Sat 8 Nov 9.30pm
Mon 10 Nov 2.15pm
Tue 11 Nov 6.30pm
Thu 13 Nov 1.30pm
Sat 15 Nov 6.50pm
MELBOURNE —
Thu 6 Nov 9.20pm
Sat 8 Nov 9.30pm
Tue 11 Nov
2.45pm
Fri 14 Nov 2.30pm
Sat 15 Nov 9.30pm
Mon 17 Nov 2.30pm
Tue 18 Nov 9.15pm
Thu 20 Nov ★ 6.30pm
Sat 22 Nov 6.45pm
GOLD COAST & AUCKLAND —
see page 15.
58
T H E SIT UATIO N (H A M AT Z AV )
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Available from your local supermarket
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Sydney — Event Cinemas, Bondi Junction
29 October — 16 November
Melbourne — Classic Cinemas, Elsternwick
5 — 23 November
Gold Coast — Event Cinemas, Robina
15, 16 & 23 November
Perth — Event Cinemas, Innaloo
15, 16 & 23 November
Auckland — The Bridgeway Cinema, Northcote Point
16 & 23 November
64
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