Houston Jewish Film Festival

Transcription

EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC
HOUSTON
Connect Magazine
Houston Jewish
Film Festival
MARCH 5-20, 2016
See page 21 for
Children’s Scholarship Ball
and other programs
Wedding Doll
Photo by: Gabriel Baharlia
erjcchouston.org/filmfest
Houston Jewish Film Festival | At a Glance
2 |Ticket Info and Venues
3 |Letter from the Film Chair
5 | AFTERNOON OF SHORTS
COMEDY
10 | Serial (Bad) Weddings
12 | 10% My Child
13 | How to Win Enemies
14 | A Night at the Opera
15 | Closing Night: Dough
DOCUDRAMA
13 | Sabena Hijacking: My Version
7 | A Nazi Legacy:
What Our Fathers Did
9 | Rosenwald
10, 14 | The Muses of
Isaac Bashevis Singer
11 | Carvalho’s Journey
DRAMA
6 | The Kind Words
6 | Phoenix
7 | Apples from the Desert
8 | Chair’s Choice:
Everything is Illuminated
9 | Fire Birds
6 | Very Semi-Serious:
A Partially Thorough Portrait of
New Yorker Cartoonists
14 | Wedding Doll
9 | GET CULTURED:
FOR 20s & 30s
Atomic Falafel
THRILLER
4 | Opening Night: The Man in the Wall
10 | Remember
15 | Fauda
16 | HJFF Calendar of Events
17 | Committee Members and Staff
11 | Mountain
DOCUMENTARY
13 | Women’s Night: A La Vie
17 | Sponsors and Community Partners
11 | To Life!
12 | Bulgarian Rhapsody
12 | Baba Joon
18 | Editorial
21 | Coming Up at the J
TICKET INFORMATION
Don’t miss out! Films sell out. Buy individual tickets early to guarantee a seat.
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
FESTIVAL PASS
See page 16 for individual ticket prices.
$80 Member | $110 Public
$10 discount for Students and Seniors 60+
Festival and Patron Passes provide entry for films only at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC.
Patrons of the Arts and Festival Pass seats will be released 15 minutes prior to each
film at the J. Make sure to arrive early to guarantee your seat.
To purchase tickets and passes, visit erjcchouston.org/filmfest.
Get member pricing to HJFF plus programs throughout the year!
Membership starts as low as $180/year! For more detailed information on membership categories and rates,
please visit us online at erjcchouston.org/join or call 713.729.3200.
VENUES
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston
5601 South Braeswood  Houston, TX 77096
713.551.7255  erjcchouston.org/filmfest
2
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonnet St.  Houston, TX 77005
713.639.7515  mfah.org/films
Holocaust Museum Houston
Morgan Family Center
5401 Caroline St.  Houston, TX 77004
713.942.8000  hmh.org
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Welcome to the 12th Houston Jewish Film Festival presented by the
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC.
Our distinguished list of 26 features and documentaries includes 13 Israeli
films. Isaac Zablocki, the Director of the Israel Film Center, describes
this years’ crop of Israeli films as offering “a new development in Israeli
cinematic language.” He cites our opening film, The Man in the Wall, for its
“groundbreaking methods of presentation, taking innovation to a new level.”
Our features include many Ophir (Israel’s version of the Academy Awards)
winners and nominees, including Best Picture Winner Baba Joon and Best
Actress Winner, Moran Rosenblatt in Wedding Doll (see cover). Additionally,
films from Canada, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Denmark, Argentina, Great
Britain, the U.S. and Hungary will be presented.
The Man in the Wall
Photo by: Ziv Berkovich
This is our second year to offer a Chairman’s Choice. Everything is
Illuminated is one of those rare films as engaging as its critically acclaimed
source material, a novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. It features humor,
sadness, beauty and an unforgettable tour guide. Please join me in this
journey of discovery of Jonathan (Elijah Wood) as he searches for his
family’s history in the Ukraine.
Joel Dinkin, the J’s Executive Vice President, challenged me on more than
one occasion to “offer some comedies.” I think Joel and our many viewers
will enjoy some lighter fare: Very Semi Serious, Serial Bad Weddings, and
our closing film, Dough. The icing on the comedy cake is one of my personal
favorites, the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera. I encourage you to get
reacquainted with the Marx Brothers and to bring someone who is unfamiliar
with them. This 80 year plus classic is a comedy they will not forget.
Thanks to the members of the film committee (see page 17) a tireless group
of knowledgeable cinemaphiles including Festival Founders Doreen Joffe
and Sharon Kagan plus former chairs Sue Goott, Diane Lee Kraitman and
Helen Wils. My special appreciation goes to Miriam Pacht, Joyce Cramer and
Nada Chandler for pre-screening more films than you can imagine. Finally,
I would also like to personally thank the Amazing Amy Rahmani, Arts &
Culture Program Coordinator, who makes it all happen. Finally the Festival
would not be possible without the financial support of our Patrons of the
Arts, underwriters, community and corporate sponsors. We appreciate your
commitment and dedication to the Festival.
Baba Joon
A Night at the Opera
I look forward to seeing you again and again at the Festival.
John Dreyfus
Film Committee Chair
Dough
3
OPENING NIGHT
The Man in the Wall
Saturday, March 5 | 8:00 PM
Tuesday, March 15 | 5:00 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Photo by: Ziv Berkovich
Opening Night festivities begin at 7:00 PM.
Shir awakens one night to discover that her husband Rami is missing; his phone, his
clothing, his wallet and all of his possessions are in their apartment. Shir panics.
She calls his best friend; she calls the police. Rami’s whereabouts are unknown. And
so begins a dark evening of revelations, half-truths and lies as unexpected guests,
acquaintances, friends and relatives show up throughout the night, each with a
different tale, each adding a dark layer to the mystery. This psychological thriller
draws the audience into Shir’s crisis and her marriage until the twisted end.
Directed by Evgeny Ruman
Israel, 2015, 92 min
Hebrew with English subtitles
Houston Premiere
Thriller
For Opening Night only: all tickets are reserved seating. Buy your ticket early to ensure a seat.
Patrons and Festival pass holders RSVP to [email protected] or call 713.551.7215.
Sponsored by June and Leonard Goldberg
Patron Sponsor: Joyce Cramer
4
Afternoon of Shorts
Sunday, March 6 | 1:00 PM
Ave Maria
Directed by Basil Khalil
France, Germany, Palestine, 2015, 15 min
The silent routine of five nuns living in the West Bank is disturbed when an
Israeli settler’s car breaks down outside their convent just before Shabbat.
Ave Maria was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the Oscars.
Kapunka
Directed by Tal Greenberg
When Israeli law pushes Shmulik’s back to the wall, he decides to take matters
into his own hands. If only he knew how funny it would turn out.
Ischler
Directed by Attila Hartung
Hungary, 2014, 16 min
Evil comes from unexpected places as three Jewish sisters seek shelter in the
Budapest apartment of a highly regarded doctor during the Holocaust.
Lookout
Directed by Noa Gusakov
Serving as a lookout in the Israeli military, Timmy distracts herself from the
tiring work by creating her own imaginary world. Then one day something
happens in front of her eyes, shattering her protective bubble.
YidLife Crisis
Directed by Eli Batalion & Jamie Elman
Canada, 2015, 6 min
Chaimie and Leizer, best friends and debating adversaries, tackle life, love, and
lactose intolerance in this hilarious foodie-centric short series done entirely in
their grandparents’ Yiddish.
Lost Paradise
Directed by Oded Binnun & Mihal Brezis
France/Israel, 2009, 10 min
A man and a woman are making love in a one-star hotel room. A moment later,
when both are dressed, the idyll that seemed authentic is now gone in this
present-day Adam and Eve story.
Dear God
Directed by Erez Tadmor and Guy Nattiv
Aaron cleans up the messages that people place into the historic Wailing Wall.
One day a beautiful, mysterious woman leaves a note and Aaron decides to
fulfill her deepest wish.
5
Very Semi-Serious: A Partially Thorough Portrait
of New Yorker Cartoonists
Sunday, March 13 | 6:00 PM*
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Photo by: Kirsten Johnson
Some subscribers admit the first thing they do when a new issue
of The New Yorker arrives is look at the cartoons which are always
hilarious and topical. Very Semi-Serious,
Directed by Leah Wolchok
an offbeat meditation on humor, art,
USA, 2015, 83 min
and the genius of the single panel
English
comic, reveals the meticulous and
Documentary
often infuriating process of selecting
and creating the magazine’s popular cartoons. The film follows
cartoon editor Bob Mankoff as he reviews submissions from
aspiring hopefuls as well as magazine icons including Roz Chast
and Sam Gross.
The Kind Words
(Hamilim Hatovot)
Following their mother’s death,
Directed by Shemi Zarhin
three Israeli siblings learn that
Israel/Canada, 2015, 118 min
the Jewish man who raised
Houston Premiere
them is not their biological
Drama
father; their biological father
is a Muslim. In turmoil, they
set out for France in search of him. Dorona is angry and
dissatisfied. Her brothers grapple with how to define
themselves as men, fathers and Israeli Jews. Fast paced and
wryly humorous, the film examines our ideas of identity and
the tightrope that exists between truths and lies.
6
Phoenix
Monday, March 7 | 5:00 PM
Germany, mid 1940s. A figure appears in a vehicle, her
face covered with bloodDirected by Christian Petzold
soaked bandages. Nelly
Germany, 2015, 99 min
is being transported to a
English, German with English
subtitles
plastic surgeon for facial
Drama
reconstruction. So begins a
tale of identity, illusion, and
deception as Nelly, face rebuilt, similar but not identical
to her disfigured one, tracks down her husband who
may or may not have shopped her to the Nazis in this
Hitchcock style modern masterpiece. Time Magazine and
The A.V. Club ranked this film the 2nd best film of 2015.
* Festival and Patron Passes are not accepted.
Apples from the Desert (Tapuchim Min Hamidbar)
The only child of ultra-religious parents, Rebecca (Moran Rosenblatt from Wedding Doll)
is controlled by her cold, iron-fisted father. Restricted to returning home at the end of the
day, whereabouts checked, Rebecca breaks taboos and sneaks off to folk-dancing classes
where she meets a secular kibbutznik. The conflict between Rebecca and her parents
culminates in a moment of truth and forces each of them to confront their beliefs and one
another. An adaptation of the award-winning Israeli play, Apples from the Desert poignantly
explores themes of love and reconciliation.
Directed by Arik Lubetzky and
Matti Harari
Houston Premiere
Drama
Preceded by the short film, Dear God
Patron Sponsors: Helen Wils and Leonard Goldstein
A Nazi Legacy:
What Our Fathers Did*
Tuesday, March 8 | 5:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Philippe Sands, a human
Directed by David Evans
rights lawyer, conducts
UK, 2015, 92 min
conversations with two
English
men whose fathers were
Houston Premiere
Documentary
indicted as Nazi war
criminals. The two sons
have starkly contrasting attitudes towards their fathers; one can’t bring himself to condemn his father while the other
despises his father. The three men travel together across Europe on a challenging journey. For Sands, it means visiting
the place where much of his own Jewish family was destroyed. In an emotional, psychological exploration, three men
wrestle with their pasts and conflicting versions of the truth.
7
CHAIR’S CHOICE
Everything Is Illuminated
Wednesday, March 9 | 7:30 PM
Join us for Everything is Illuminated, a favorite of our Film Chair, John Dreyfus.
A young man takes a strange and unexpectedly funny journey in search of a family
heroine he’s never known in this screen adaptation of the novel by Jonathan Safran
Foer. Jonathan (Elijah Wood) is a lifelong collector of any and all objects pertaining to
his family who has become obsessed with a woman he’s never met. On his journey to
Ukraine he encounters an unforgettable tour guide and his taciturn grandfather. Join
us on this poignant road to discovery.
Patron Reception underwritten by
Patron Sponsors: Dreyfus Family in loving memory of Jane Dreyfus
Lynn and Armand Shapiro
8
Directed by Liev Schreiber
USA, 2005, 106 min
English
Drama
Photo credit:
Courtesy Fisk University, John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library, Special Collections
Rosenwald
Fire Birds
He never finished high school
Directed by Aviva Kempner
but rose to become president
USA, 2014, 90 min
of Sears. He believed in Jewish
English
Documentary
values: tikkun olam, repairing
the world, and tzedakah. He
built over 5,300 schools in the south in the early 20th century,
joining forces with African American communities to educate
youth and awarding fellowships to leading intellectuals and
artists including Marian Anderson, James Baldwin, Julian
Bond, Ralph Bunche, W.E.B. DuBois, Ralph Ellison, Langston
Hughes and a host of others. Meet Julius Rosenwald:
philanthropist, civil rights activist, Jewish idealist.
Starring two legends of Israeli
film, Gila Almagor and Oded
Directed by Amir Wolf
Teomi, and nominated for
10 Ophir Awards, Fire Birds
Houston Premiere
Drama
intertwines the tales of
Amikon, an 80 year old whose
body is found with three stab wounds to the chest and
a number tattooed on his forearm, and Amnon, a police
detective who reluctantly accepts the case. Fast paced and
intriguing, moving between past and present, this film will
keep you guessing until its final surprising moments.
Thursday, March 10 | 5:00 PM
Film provided by The National Center for Jewish Film,
www.jewishfilm.org
Patron Sponsors: Doreen and Basil Joffe
GET CULTURED: THE J’S ARTS & CULTURE EVENTS FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR 20s AND 30s
Atomic Falafel
Exclusively for Ages 21 to Thirty-Something
Sundance Cinemas | 510 Texas Avenue
$10 | Advanced purchase recommended | Cash only at the door
Photo by: Merav Maroody
This hilarious satire has
Directed by Dror Shaul
everything: intelligence and
Germany/Israel/New Zealand, 2015, 93 min
military personnel who sit around
English, Farsi, Hebrew with English subtitles
a sandbox planning war maneuvers Houston Premiere
Comedy
while an assistant removes ever
larger missiles from her purse; two
teenaged girls, Israeli and Iranian, who spill their respective country’s
valuable secrets on Facebook while trying to prevent a nuclear crisis;
and the hottest falafel truck operator in the Middle East. She falls in
love with the German inspector of nuclear plants and he breaks out in
hives when he comes anywhere near enriched uranium.
9
The Muses of Isaac Bashevis Singer
Friday, March 11 | 1:00 PM
Photo Credit: HRC
Directed by Shaul Betser and Asaf Galay
English, Hebrew with English subtitles
Houston Premiere
Documentary
In the mid 1960’s, Nobel Prize winning Yiddish author Isaac Bashevis Singer
established an army of more than forty female translators who were vital
sources of creative inspiration and helped expose his work to the world. This
enchanting documentary shows the complex life of one of the world’s most
celebrated literary figures through the eyes of the women who knew him best.
Combining interviews with nine of his translators alongside exclusive archival
footage, the film provides an original and captivating look at the famous writer.
Lunch and a Movie for Adults 60+
Friday March 11 | 12:00 PM
$8 Member | $12 Public | Price includes film and lunch
RSVP REQUIRED by Monday, March 7 to Esther Bethke at 713.595.8186.
Remember*
Remember, by critically acclaimed director
Directed by Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan, tells the story of Zev Guttman
Canada, 2015, 95 min
(Christopher Plummer), a 90-year-old struggling
English, German with
English subtitles
with memory loss. Following his wife’s death,
Houston Premiere
Zev receives a surprising package from his
Thriller
close friend Max. Zev and Max are survivors of
Auschwitz, and the same sadistic guard murdered both of their families –
a guard who lives in the U.S. under an assumed identity. With Max’s
guidance, Zev embarks on a journey to settle the score with the man who
destroyed both their lives. Also starring Dean Morris (Breaking Bad).
Serial (Bad) Weddings*
(Qu’est-Ce Qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu?)
Directed by Philippe de Chauveron
In this smash hit comedy, a conservative
France, 2014, 97 min
Parisian couple have their lives turned upside
French with English subtitles
Comedy
down when their three eldest daughters
marry Jewish, Asian and Muslim men outside
of their Catholic faith. When their youngest daughter announces her
engagement to a Catholic man, the parents rejoice, but her fiancé’s father
arrives from Africa with objections of his own. Back by popular demand,
this movie sold out two screenings at the Museum in 2015’s Five Funny
French Films series.
10
Carvalho’s Journey*
Introduced by Malcolm Daniel, Curator in Charge,
MFAH Department of Photography and Special Projects
and a Specialist in 19th Century Photography
This 19th-century American adventure
story illuminates the extraordinary life
and artistic career of Solomon Nunes
Carvalho (1815-1897), a Sephardic
Jew from Charleston, South Carolina
Photo Credit: Courtesy of The National Center for Jewish Film
whose family founded the first Reform
congregation in the U.S. Portrait artist Carvalho accompanied famed explorer Colonel John Fremont on his 1853 expedition.
Traveling alongside pioneers, Native Americans and Mormons, Carvalho produced beautiful art: daguerreotypes that
became the lens through which the world experienced the American West. Carvalho’s experience as a Jew on the western
trail was unprecedented.
Directed by Steve Rivo
USA, 2015, 85 min
English
Houston Premiere
Documentary
Mountain*
To Life! (Auf Das Leben!)
Writer/director Yaelle Kayam
Directed by Yaelle Kayam
sets her feature debut in a
Denmark/Israel, 2015, 83 min
unique location: a family’s
Houston Premiere
home in the middle of the
Drama
cemetery on Jerusalem’s Mount
of Olives. Devout wife Tzvia
(Shani Klein) spends her days cooking and cleaning while
her teacher husband and young children are at school.
Lonely and puzzled by her husband’s lack of affection, she
takes walks at night, developing an unexpected connection
with the prostitutes and drug dealers who use the
cemetery to conduct business. Ultimately Tzvia resolves her
inner turmoil with consequences that are quite shocking.
Ruth, an aging former cabaret
Directed by Uwe Janson
singer and Holocaust survivor,
Germany, 2016, 86 min
has been evicted from her
German with English subtitles
apartment. She sees no
Houston Premiere
Drama
other way out except suicide.
Jonas, a young man with a
secret, a drifter fleeing from his future, arrives in Berlin
and saves Ruth’s life. As Jonas discovers Ruth’s past, he
helps Ruth find her way to life; she helps Jonas find the
strength to tackle his fears. Enjoy terrific Yiddish musical
performances and the superb acting of grande dame of
German cinema, Hannelore Elsner.
MFA Café
Hours
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
11
Bulgarian Rhapsody
Baba Joon
Bulgarian Rhapsody recreates
Directed by Ivan Nichev
the vanished world of
Bulgaria/Israel, 2014, 108 min
Bulgarian Jewish culture.
Bulgarian, German, Ladino
with English subtitles
A tale of lost innocence and
Houston Premiere
first love set against the
Drama
backdrop of WWII, the film
deals with the friendship among three 17 year olds:
Moni, a shy Jewish boy; Giogio, his worldly Bulgarian
friend; and Shelly, a young woman whom both boys
love. Complicating matters is Giogio’s father, an antisemite working for a government department in charge
of deportations. A warm and tender film, Bulgarian
Rhapsody was Bulgaria’s entry into the 2015 Oscars.
Winner of the 2015 Ophir
Directed by Yuval Delshad
Award (Israel’s Academy
Awards) for best picture,
Farsi, Hebrew with
English subtitles
Baba Joon tells the story
Houston Premiere
of a traditional Iranian
Drama
family living on a turkey
farm in southern Israel. Almost entirely in Farsi, the
film examines the generational conflicts between a
dictatorial grandfather, his two sons, Yitzhak and Darius,
and a grandson, Moti. Darius has escaped; Yitzhak runs
the farm. To his father’s extreme displeasure, Moti
wants nothing to do with it. Navid Negahban, a Muslim
from Iran and Homeland’s Abu Nazir, plays Yitzhak.
Tuesday, March 15 | 7:30 PM
Patron Sponsors: Ellen and Daniel Trachtenberg
10% My Child
Nico, a 26 year-old would-be film
Directed by Uri Bar-on
maker, awakens one morning in his
girlfriend’s bed to discover her 7 yearHebrew with English subtitles
old daughter Franny staring at him
Houston Premiere
Comedy
from the bedroom’s doorway. He jumps
out of bed and out of the window, half
dressed. So begins a love/hate relationship between the two as
Nico becomes Franny’s sometime babysitter and attempts to find
common ground with her in order to have a better chance with her
mom. Winner of the Best Independent Film Award at the Ophirs,
this sweet film is Uri Bar-on’s directorial debut.
12
WOMEN’S NIGHT
Make it dinner and a movie with your friends! Bring your dinner or buy from Laykie’s Gourmet Café
at the J, and we’ll provide the French wine.
RSVP for dinner by Sunday, March 13 to [email protected] or call 713.551.7215
A La Vie (To Life)
Directed by Jean-Jacques Zilbermann
Visually stunning and beautifully acted,
France, 2014, 104 min
this film tells the story of three women,
French with English subtitles
Houston Premiere
Auschwitz survivors, who meet again in
Drama
1962 at a seaside resort in France. Helene
(Julie Depardieu), organizer of the reunion,
is trying to get back to normal and has married her childhood crush. Lily,
Helene’s fellow kitchen worker, arrives at the resort with Rose, whom Helene thought had died. Painting a clear
portrait of three very different women, filmmaker Jean-Jacques Zilbermann focuses not only on what unites them but
also on what separates them.
Patron Sponsors: Ilene and Larry Goldman
Sabena Hijacking:
My Version
How To Win Enemies
(Como Ganar Enemigos)
Lucas, a lawyer with a
penchant for mystery writers
Directed by Gabriel Lichtmann
Argentina, 2015, 78 min
Agatha Christie, Patricia
Spanish with English subtitles
Highsmith and his dog
Houston Premiere
Comedy
Sherlock, meets Barbara, an
attractive bookish blonde
in a bar. The two hit it off but after a night together
Lucas awakens to discover that Barbara has disappeared
along with $50,000 he was saving for a house. Lucas is
determined to solve the mystery and recoup his cash
in this delightful film complete with lively dialogue and
what initially had appeared to be a Jewish family comedy.
Captivating, fast-paced,
and utterly suspenseful,
Sabena Hijacking: My
Version recounts the
dramatic events of May
8, 1972. Sabena Captain
Reginald Levy, a British Jew
and war hero, addresses
the passengers twenty
minutes after takeoff: “As
you can see, we have friends
aboard.” Four Palestinian
Directed by Rani Sa’ar
terrorists, members of Black
September armed with
Hebrew, English, Arabic, French
with English subtitles
two handguns, two hand
Houston Premiere
grenades, and two explosion
Docudrama
belts, are ready to take
down the plane if their demands are not met. Among
the rescuers are two future Israeli prime ministers,
Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Supported by the Rosita and Albert Gaon
Sephardic Heritage Program Endowment Fund
13
Join us for drinks and snacks in the Joe Frank Theatre of the Arts. Relax in between the films: stay late after
The Muses of Isaac Bashevis Singer or come early before Wedding Doll. Lounge open 7:30 – 8:45 PM. Your
film ticket or pass provides entry.
The Muses of Isaac Bashevis Singer
Director Asaf Galay in Attendance
Co-sponsored by the Minter Chair in the Humanities, the Program in Jewish
Studies, and the Humanities Research Center at Rice University
Photo Credit: HRC
See page 10 for description. Preceded by the short film, YidLife Crisis.
Pre Film Reception with Director | 5:15 PM
Sponsored by the Program in Jewish Studies at Rice University
Wedding Doll
(Chatona Meniyar)
Moran Rosenblatt (Apples from the Desert) won the
Israeli Academy Award for her stunning portrayal of
Directed by Nitzan Gilady
an impossible dreamer who lives with her loving but
overprotective mother in a Negev desert town. Socially
Houston Premiere
alienated by a childhood brain injury, Hagit finds escape Drama
in designing bridal gowns and dolls out of leftover
materials from the toilet paper factory where she works. Despite her disabilities,
Hagit is determined to map out a future in this sensitive and poignant film.
Photo by: Uriel Sinai
Patron Sponsors: Joanne and Bruce Levy
This classic 1935 Marx Brothers comedy
has everything—romance, music,
Directed by Sam Wood
comedy, crazy antics, zany characters,
USA, 1935, 92 min
English
an ocean voyage, real opera singers,
Comedy
and the incredible Groucho, Chico,
and Harpo. The film contains some
of comedy’s classic scenes. Written by George S. Kaufman, many
Marx Brothers fans consider A Night at the Opera the team’s best
film. Joins us for— a night at the opera!
Dress as your favorite Marx Brothers character for a free ticket to
the film.
14
Fauda
Breaking TV viewership records in Israel, this mindDirected by Assaf Bernstein
blowing action thriller has been compared to
Israel, 2015, 40 min each
The Wire, Homeland and The Hurt Locker. Fauda,
Hebrew, Arabic with
English subtitles
a faced-paced Israeli political action drama brings
Houston Premiere
the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to
TV Series, Thriller
TV. Treading a fine line between fiction and reality as
it depicts the tensions of war and the frailty of human life, the show has gripped
Israeli television audiences and has struck a chord with the Israeli public, both
left and right. We will be screening the first three episodes.
CLOSING NIGHT
Dough
Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones) stars as Nat Dayan, an old Jewish baker whose business is
faltering; widowed, with sons who have no interest in the business, and customers dying off, he
strives to keep his business afloat. Enter Ayyash, a Muslim boy from Darfur who sells cannabis
on the side to help his struggling mother make ends meet. One day, Ayyash accidently drops
some product in the dough; the challah starts flying off the shelves and the two form an unlikely
friendship. Dough is a warmhearted and humorous story about overcoming prejudice and finding
redemption in unexpected places. You’ll get a rise out of Dough!
Directed by John Goldschmidt
UK, 2014, 94 min
English
Houston Premiere
Comedy
Closing Night reception follows film.
Sponsors: Kathy and Drew Berkman & Betsy and Ed Schreiber
Galveston Screening: Dough
Presented with Congregation Beth Jacob
Congregation Beth Jacob | 2401 Avenue K | Galveston, TX 77550
15
Houston Jewish Film Festival
March 5-20, 2016
Venues Legend
Calendar of Events
SUNDAY
28
MONDAY
29
5401 Caroline Street  Houston, TX 77004
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston,
Brown Auditorium Theater
Alternate Location
See listing for address
1001 Bissonnet Street  Houston, TX 77005
TUESDAY
1
Holocaust Museum Houston,
Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC, Kaplan Theatre
5601 South Braeswood  Houston, TX 77096
WEDNESDAY
2
THURSDAY
3
FRIDAY
4
SATURDAY
5
8:00 PM
OPENING NIGHT
The Man in the Wall
$15
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1:00 PM
Afternoon of
Shorts
$8 | $12
5:00 PM
Phoenix
$6
5:00 PM
A Nazi Legacy:
What Our Fathers
Did
$8 | $10
7:30 PM
CHAIR’S CHOICE
Everything is
Illuminated
$8 | $12
5:00 PM
Rosenwald
$6
1:00 PM
The Muses of Isaac
Bashevis Singer
$8 | $12
6:00 PM
Remember
$8 | $10
With Lunch and
a Movie for 60+
8:00 PM
Serial Bad
Weddings
$8 | $10
18
19
2:00 PM
Dough
$8
7:30 PM
Apples from the
Desert
$8 | $12
4:00 PM
Very Semi-Serious:
A Partially Thorough
Portrait of New
Yorker Cartoonists
$8 | $12
7:30 PM
A Nazi Legacy:
What Our Fathers
Did
$8 | $10
7:30 PM
Fire Birds
$8 | $12
7:30 PM
GET CULTURED
Atomic Falafel
Exclusively for
Ages 21 to ThirtySomething
$10
7:30 PM
The Kind Words
$8 | $12
13
14
15
16
17
1:00 PM
Carvalho’s Journey
$8 | $10
5:00 PM
To Life!
$6
5:00 PM
The Man in the Wall
$6
5:00 PM
10% My Child
$6
3:00 PM
Mountain
$8 | $10
7:30 PM
Bulgarian
Rhapsody
$8 | $12
7:30 PM
Baba Joon
$8 | $12
WOMEN’S NIGHT
5:00 PM
How to Make
Enemies
$6
6:00 PM
The Muses of Isaac
Bashevis Singer
$15
7:30 PM
Sabena Hijacking:
My Version
$8 | $12
7:30 PM–8:45 PM
Lounge Open
6:00 PM
Very Semi-Serious:
A Partially Thorough
Portrait of New
Yorker Cartoonists
$8 | $10
20
6:30 PM
Women’s Night
Dinner
7:30 PM
A La Vie
$8 | $12
21
22
23
Director Asaf Galay
in Attendance
8:45 PM
Wedding Doll
$15
24
25
26
CLOSING DAY
1:00 PM
$8 | $12
4:00 PM
Fauda
$8 | $12
7:30 PM
Dough
$8 | $12
Every movie ticket from the J gets you 10% off
at Laykie’s Gourmet Café at the J
Hours During Film Festival
Mon-Thurs: 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM – 7:30 PM
on March 6 & 20
Price: Member | Public
Member price includes Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Member/Patron of the Arts/MFAH Film Buff/HMH Member/Students/Seniors 60+
16
COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF
2015-2016 Film Committee
John Dreyfus, Chair
Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan, Founding Chairs
Marc Bronsweig
Nada Chandler
Joyce Cramer
Beverly Fanarof
Sue Goott
Jerry Greenspan
Ellen Hamburg
Lindy Kahn
Diane Kaplan
Marisa Katz
Diane Lee Kraitman
Eve Lapin
Joanne Levy
Miriam Pacht
Emory Skolkin
Stefani Twyford
Joyce Wilkenfeld
Helen Wils
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC of Houston
Debbie Kaplan
Joel Dinkin
President
Executive Vice President
Jasmine Ross
Arts & Culture Assistant
Marilyn Hassid
Assistant Executive Director
Maxine Silberstein
Amy Rahmani
Arts & Culture Program
Coordinator
Jerry Lynch and Lee Snyder
Dance Director
Projectionists
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Curator, Film and Video
Managing Director/Director of Public Programs
Marian Luntz
Tamara Savage
SPONSORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Supporters
Patrons of the Arts
Official Hotel of the ERJCC
The Maurice Amado
Foundation
Media Sponsor
Director
Brian Gavin Diamonds
In-Kind
Fleischer Wine: A Division of Mexcor
Jenny Tavor Custom Catering
Community Partners
AIPAC – American Israel Public
Affairs Committee
Consulate General of Israel to the
Southwest
Jewish Feminist Reading Group
Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
American Jewish Committee
Hebrew Speakers Professional
Organization
Congregation Beth Israel’s Miriam
Browning Jewish Learning Center
National Council of Jewish Women
Greater Houston Section
Houston Chapter of Hadassah
Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care
Services
Congregation Brith Shalom
Houston Congregation for Reform
Judaism
United Orthodox Synagogues of
Houston
Congregation Shma Koleinu
Jewish War Veterans – Post 547
Jewish Family Service
17
Resident
Artist Creates
Community
through
Creativity
A
rt creates a strong sense of community, bringing empathy,
joy and satisfaction. It can help children with impulse control
and problem solving and give adults a new sense of purpose.
Carolyn Catlos brings all these benefits to the J as the new Visual Arts
Program Coordinator.
“Art, service and teaching are three things I am very passionate about,”
said Carolyn. “Ever since I was a young girl I have found joy, appreciation
and understanding through art. I love working in a field that allows me
to develop relationships with others, by sharing with them the skills,
experiences and activities that have been most meaningful in my life.”
Carolyn moved to Houston from Detroit two years ago. She received a
Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Her
major area of study was crafts, with a concentration in fiber design. Her
work has been featured in national and regional group shows and solo
exhibitions.
Among her many creative roles at the J, one of her goals is to position
the J as a destination on the Houston arts scene. She will also coordinate
exhibitions in the Deutser Art Gallery. But she is most excited about
teaching and expanding art classes to children and teens.
“It’s has been several years since the J offered children’s art classes as
an afterschool activity. We’re lucky to have found someone like Carolyn
who has the experience and knowledge to re-imagine and rebuild the
art program for children, teens and adults,” said Morgan Steinberg, Adult
Program Director. “Art classes are for everyone regardless of age, ability
and experience, which makes it that much more important that the J
offers a vibrant, creative scene for our members to thrive in.”
Carolyn’s most recent professional experience includes serving as an
instructor at M.E.C.A., Multicultural Education and Counseling through
the Arts, in Houston. While residing in Michigan, she worked for the
College for Creative Studies in Detroit and the Cranbrook Educational
Carolyn Catlos
Community in Bloomfield Hills, teaching ceramics, metals, fiber,
photography and sculpture.
“We’re so appreciative of the J’s support in expanding and upgrading the
Arts program,” said Ellen Trachtenberg, chair of the J’s Adult committee
and a participant in the ceramics class. “Carolyn is a wonderful teacher –
organized, patient, accessible, innovative and motivating.”
Carolyn sees the true reward in watching her students grow in creativity,
skills and confidence. She invites you to join a class and encourage your
creativity to flourish.
18
Judaism Today – What is a life worth?
Is one life more important than another? That is the ethical
The series opens Sunday, April
question at the core of the Spring Scholars Series. The J’s Bobbi
3, with Andrew Fastow, Enron’s
and Vic Samuels Center for Jewish Living and Learning presents
former CFO, on “After Enron:
Jewish Ethics & The Price of Life, April 3-10.
What’s Legal & What’s Right in the
Corporate Environment?” He will
This year, the J invited three Houston scholars to lecture on
be followed by Rebecca Lunstroth,
contemporary ethical issues. Participants will explore the legal
April 6, on “Reproductive Ethics:
system and upholding its principals. The series includes discussion
The Woman vs. the Fetus.” The
about reproductive rights and what the Torah says about the death
series concludes with David Dow,
penalty.
April 10, on “Does the Texas Death
Penalty Violate Jewish Law?”
Andrew Fastow
“I am excited about the spring Scholars series because the essence
of Judaism is behavior, not belief,” says Joe Pryzant, CJLL Chair.
Each presenter will thoughtfully consider how Jewish values are
“The series is an exploration of how one should act in challenging
reflected in these important issues. Each lecture will take place
situations when the “right” course of action is not clear. This
at the J. For full class descriptions, presenter bios, or to register,
program will be both provocative and informative and may well
please visit www.erjcchouston.org/ethics.
challenge your conventional beliefs.”
Helping All Children
Reach for the
STARS
For a decade, the J has enriched
the
lives
of
children
with
learning disabilities through the
Karol Musher STARS program.
The STARS classroom at the
Bertha Alyce School is a selfcontained therapeutic program
for preschoolers with special
needs. Now, to further develop
the social needs of students, the
staff is launching an initiative
to include STARS students in
general education settings. The inclusion with nondisabled peers
could be anywhere from 1-3 hours per school day, depending on the
individual needs of the child and supported by STARS staff.
“The J’s commitment to incorporate a culture of inclusion has
already had some positive effects. Seeing the students learn, play
and build friendships together has been amazing,” said Michelle
Muscat, STARS teacher. “Inclusion benefits both students and
teachers, as we all benefit from interacting with different people.”
Inclusion is an evidence-based practice shown to have benefits
for all children, with and without disabilities. In inclusive settings,
children’s learning is individualized and nondisabled peers develop
greater compassion and an appreciation for each classmate’s
contributions. Stigmas fade away. Plus, children receiving special
education services benefit from learning in the least restrictive
environment.
As an inclusive preschool, BAS is committed to the right of all
children to be full members of their community, a place where
children with disabilities and developmental delays are valued
and welcomed. We use Jewish lenses to inform this vision of
inclusion, including:
• B’tezelem Elohim: each child has something to contribute and
teach our community
• Tikkun Olam: acts of kindness performed to repair the world
• D’rash: teaching to reach a diversity of learners
“Inclusion is our truest commitment to children,” said Rebecca
Weiner, a STARS teacher. “Our children are developing language
with true communication partners, play skills with true friends and
adaptability in real life.”
As the only inclusive Jewish preschool in Houston, and one of the
only inclusive preschools in Houston, our program will serve as an
exemplar in the region. Now, with the STARS inclusion program, all
children can attend a Jewish preschool, receive therapy, special
education services and develop friendships with peers. We invite
community members and professionals to learn more about our
program, contact Bonnie Kasner at [email protected].
19
Live Up to Your
Physical Potential
No man has the right to be an
amateur in the matter of physical
training. It is a shame for a man to
grow old without seeing the beauty
and strength of which his body is
capable. ― Socrates
A member of the J Fitness Center mentioned this quote as
inspiration for his exercising. He takes time each day to do some
form of fitness, whether it’s cardio, weightlifting, stretching or
strength conditioning.
“Socrates might be on to something,” said Catherine Santamaria,
Health & Fitness Coordinator. “We should nourish, challenge and
rejuvenate our bodies like we do our minds because if you don’t
use it, you lose it. And when you don’t have it, you miss it. Exercise
is an amazing way to see your physique’s true beauty and strength,
throughout your life.”
There is no better example than long-time member Ruby Getz. She
is 85 years old and a regular in the Fitness Center. She engages
in everything from pumping iron to personal training to corestrengthening.
“I want to be able to take care of myself,” said Ruby. “I also thought
that at my age, I would have limitations, but the more I exercise, the
more I keep up with my targeted physical activity, those limitations
are extended. And a massage here and there certainly helps!”
20
No matter where you start from or what your goals are, there is a
form of body nourishment right for you. If you are a new mother who
is keen to get back into exercising, try our Abdominal Connections
course. If you are an avid athlete who needs deep stretching and
muscle elongation, try our Yamuna Body Rolling course. Perhaps
you want to try our Defense Fitness course and learn how fitness
can be a tool for empowerment. At the J, you can find your path to
reach your physical potential.
Fitness doesn’t always mean you need gym equipment. Dancing
can burn 400 calories an hour. That’s a good reason to step into
our Cardio Dance class, or shimmy into one of our Zumba classes.
You can also get a great workout and mental boost practicing
Yoga, which tones the body and eases the mind. And for those
exemplifying the old adage that age is just a number you can
continue to build strength, flexibility, and coordination in our Prime
Time Fitness 60+ exercise class.
Exercise is wise wherever you are in life. Try a new group fitness
class and find out just how capable you are.
COMING SOON AT THE J
Wiesenthal
Written by and starring Tom Dugan
Directed by Jenny Sullivan
By Special Arrangement with Daryl Roth and Karyl Lynn Burns
Co-Presented with Holocaust Museum Houston
March 29–April 3
Keyboard Conversations®
with Jeffrey Siegel
Filled with hope, humanity
and humor, Wiesenthal is the
riveting true story of Simon
Wiesenthal, an ordinary
man who did extraordinary
things, devoting his life to
bringing more than 1,100 Nazi
war criminals to justice.
Classics Go Pop!
Sunday, February 21 | 4:00 PM
Experience some of the most famous, beloved music ever
written, melodies familiar to concert goers and nonconcert goers alike.
Underwritten by the Barbara and Mark Paull Families
Palestina
NobleMotion Dance
Photo by: Lynn Lane
Monday, February 29 | 7:30 PM
Palestina is an overture
composed by RussianJewish composer Leo Zeitlin
(1884-1930), a leading figure
in 20th century Jewish art
music, in 1929 for New York’s
Capitol Theatre. Under the
baton of Houston conductor
Robert Linder, Palestina
will have its modern premiere in a concert that includes
additional Zeitlin treasures.
From Manuscript Scores to Orchestral Performance:
An Introduction to Leo Zeitlin
Presented by Paula Eisenstein Baker and Robert S. Nelson
Wednesday, February 24 | 7:30 PM
FREE
NobleMotion Dance
L’Dor Vador: Poetry and Dance from
Three Generations of a Jewish Family
April 9 & 10
Stars of David: Story to Song
Based on the Best-Selling Book by Abigail Pogrebin
By Special Arrangement with Daryl Roth
Directed by Luke Wrobel
In Cooperation with Vital Arts Collaborative
May 11–22
This new musical revue, based on
the best-selling book by Abigail
Pogrebin, celebrates the identity
of some of the most well-known
Jewish personalities, including
Leonard Nimoy, Andy Cohen,
Kenneth Cole, Fran Drescher, Ruth
Bader Ginsburg, Tony Kushner, Aaron Sorkin, and Gloria
Steinem with songs by some of Broadway’s best composers.
21
SAVE THE DATE
CHILDREN’S SCHOL ARSHIP BALL
BENEFITTING THE IRVIN K APLAN CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP FUND
AT T H E E V E LY N R U B E N S T E I N J E W I S H C O M M U N I T Y C E N T E R O F H O U S T O N
ROYAL SONESTA HOUSTON
For more information, to make a contribution to pay tribute to our Honorees,
or to purchase tickets visit jcchouston.org/csb
or contact Judy Weil at 713.551-7219
22
2016 HONOREES
Ann & J. Kent Friedman
Erica & Benjy Levit
2016 HONORARY CHAIRS
Marci Rosenberg &
Ben Samuels
Joyce & Arthur Schechter
Cyvia & Melvyn Wolff
2016 BALL CHAIRS
Lauren Straus Sorkin • Amira Grinberg Staller • Jennifer Haikin Zach
2016 AUCTION CHAIRS
Abby Ackerman • Melissa Goodman
The Irvin Kaplan Children’s Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance for children from six week old
infants to teenagers, from all backgrounds, and with different abilities, so they can participate in early
childhood care, educational activities, special needs programs and summer day camp at the J.
The Evelyn Rubenstein JCC is committed to the needs of the family and provides childcare programs for
hundreds of Houston’s youth. The proceeds from the Children’s Scholarship Ball will ensure that no family is
turned away due to financial hardship.
23
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston
5601 S. Braeswood | Houston, TX 77096–3907
713.729.3200 | erjcchouston.org
Non–Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 6217
Houston, Texas
Houston Jewish
Film Festival
MARCH 5-20, 2016
Everything is Illuminated
erjcchouston.org/filmfest

Houston Jewish Film Festival

Transcription

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