18th annual - Toronto Jewish Film Festival
Transcription
18th annual - Toronto Jewish Film Festival
WELCOME TO THE 18TH ANNUAL TORONTO JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL In the Jewish tradition, “l’Chaim” is a toast “to life.” The numeric value of the Hebrew letters forming the word “chai” is 18, so this is a very meaningful birthday for TJFF. It’s a time to celebrate our past and salute the future. The special sidebar series this year is People of the Comic Book: The Creators of Superheroes, Graphic Novels & Toons. Jews basically invented the comic book: Superman, Batman, Spiderman … these and many other iconic superheroes were created by Jewish artists. The graphic novel, and a significant part of early animation, were also largely a Jewish creation. Through films and special events, People of the Comic Book celebrates the Jewish pioneers and creators of comic art. This year’s Festival features films from 18 countries. Among them are The Loners, Renen Schorr’s film about two Israeli soldiers who bring an entire army base to a standstill, and Simon Konianski, a quirky road movie from Belgium. The Festival is honoured to screen the North American Premiere of the newly restored documentary Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today. There are also documentary profiles of some truly remarkable personalities, ranging from filmmaker Claude Lanzmann to Baroness Pannonica Rothschild, jazz lover and muse of Thelonious Monk. Still the best ticket in town, the TJFF has something for everyone. Covering the city, we now screen in four venues: the Bloor Cinema, the Al Green Theatre, the Cineplex Odeon Sheppard Centre Cinemas and, starting this year, the SilverCity Richmond Hill Cinemas, which will further serve audiences in the northern part of Toronto. For full descriptions of the films, as well as times and venues, and, most importantly, to book your tickets, go to our website at tjff.com. COME JOIN US FOR AN ILLUMINATING WEEK OF POWERFUL INTERNATIONAL FILM Call to purchase tickets and passes at 416-967-1528 FILM LIST THE LOCATIONS SPECIAL PRESENTATION AG = Al Green Theatre NUREMBERG: ITS LESSON FOR TODAY (1948) [The 2009 Schulberg/Waletzky Restoration] BC = Bloor Cinema SC = Cineplex Odeon Sheppard Centre Cinemas RH = SilverCity Richmond Hill Cinemas = People of the Comic Book Sidebar Series OPENING-NIGHT FILM A MATTER OF SIZE (SIPUR GADOL) TORONTO PREMIERE ISRAEL/FRANCE/GERMANY 2009, 90 MIN DIRECTORS: SHARON MAYMON, EREZ TADMOR Herzl joins a fitness club to get into shape, but the process turns out to be sheer torture. Fed up with the ridicule he faces daily, he turns to sumo wrestling as a way to transform his size into self-respect. He then convinces a few friends to join him, and they all learn some important lessons about life itself. A wonderful film with winning performances by an excellent cast and a moral for all of us to ponder. Guest invited. SATURDAY APRIL 17 • 9:15 PM • BC SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 8 PM • SC NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE USA/GERMANY 1948/2009, 80 MIN WRITER/DIRECTOR: STUART SCHULBERG RESTORATION CREATED BY: SANDRA SCHULBERG & JOSH WALETZKY USA 2009, 73 MIN DIRECTOR: BOB RICHMAN This documentary tells the moving story of Ruth Gruber, the foreign correspondent, humanitarian and photographer who was among the first to report from the Soviet Arctic, covered the Nuremberg trials, campaigned to allow 1,000 Holocaust refugees from Europe into the U.S. and brought the story of the Exodus 1947 to the world’s attention. Guest: Producer Zeva Oelbaum. With THE IRENE HILDA STORY (45 MIN) CLOSING-NIGHT FILM AJAMI ISRAEL/GERMANY 2009, 120 MIN DIRECTORS: SCANDAR COPTI, YARON SHANI SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 8:45 PM • BC ACHZIV, A PLACE FOR LOVE CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 55 MIN DIRECTOR: ETTY WIESELTIER In an abandoned Arab village in northern Israel, Eli Avivi created a sanctuary where bohemians from around the world indulge in drugs and free love. But authorities threaten to close down Avivi’s “paradise,” while friends and dignitaries continue to pay homage to a vanishing way of life. With DUBAK: A PALESTINIAN JEW (60 MIN) WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 3 PM • AG SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 11 AM • BC SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 7 PM • BC TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 5:30 PM • AG THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 6:30 PM • SC Directed by an Israeli Arab and an Israeli Jew, this powerful film uses five interconnected stories to explore the lives of the Christian, Muslim and Jewish inhabitants in the mixed Jaffa neighbourhood of Ajami. Winner of the Wolgin Award and the Ophir Prize for Best Israeli Film 2009, and an Academy Award® nominee. WITH BALANCING ACTS (WORK-IN-PROGRESS, 18 MIN) Originally produced in 1948, and subsequently suppressed by the U.S. government, the Englishlanguage version of Nuremberg was never completed, and the original picture negative and sound elements were lost or destroyed. One of the greatest courtroom dramas in history, Nuremberg illustrates how four international prosecutors built their case against the top Nazi war criminals during a trial that lasted from November 20, 1945 to October 1, 1946. The film follows the structure of the four counts of indictment, interwoven with the Nazis’ own documentation and propaganda films presented as evidence at the trial, building to a climax with the judges’ chilling verdicts. Nuremberg is an incredible piece of cinematic history that has been meticulously restored. Not to be missed. Warning: Graphic archival footage. Guests: Journalist Evan Solomon, Host of CBC NewsNetwork’s Power and Politics with Evan Solomon; Sandra Schulberg, Restoration Project Director; and Josh Waletzky, Restoration Picture/Sound Editor. AHEAD OF TIME Based on Cleveland writer and former file clerk Harvey Pekar’s popular comic-book series, this award-winning feature ingeniously interweaves documentary footage of the real-life Pekar and his wife, Joyce Brabner, with uncanny fictional performances by Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis. A cinematic gem. Guest: Harvey Pekar. MONDAY APRIL 19 • NOON • AG CANADIAN PREMIERE GERMANY 2009, 97 MIN DIRECTOR: KASPER HEIDELBACH To prevent a U.S. boycott of the 1936 Olympics on the grounds of exclusion of Jews, the Nazis recruited Gretel Bergmann, a world-class Jewish high jumper — while doing everything to ensure she lost. This well-made, engrossing drama tells the true story of a woman’s attempts to maintain dignity and respect under tremendous pressure. A great companion to What If? The Helene Mayer Story. Warning: Nudity. Guest invited. criticism of government policies. In this film (offering a broader perspective than the film on Oz TJFF screened last year), the writer discusses his childhood in Jerusalem and life on the kibbutz, relations between Jews of different origins, the peace process and Israeli politics. SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 1:30 PM • BC ANITA CANADIAN PREMIERE ARGENTINA 2009, 106 MIN DIRECTOR: MARCOS CARNEVALE When the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association is bombed, Anita’s life is sent into a tailspin. Not understanding what has happened, Anita, who has Down syndrome, goes in search of her mother and becomes swept up with other hurt, disoriented people. Alejandra Manzo, an actress living with Down syndrome, delivers a stunning performance in this lovely film. AS LILITH USA 2003, 101 MIN DIRECTORS: SHARI SPRINGER BERMAN, ROBERT PULCINI BERLIN ’36 SATURDAY APRIL 24 • 9:15 PM • BC SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 1:00 PM • SC SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 5:30 PM • SC THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 1 PM • BC AMERICAN SPLENDOR Yiddish theatre, plays a widower whose wife is lost at sea. A wonderful example of high melodrama typical of popular Yiddish theatre at the time, this newly restored film also features vaudeville humour, playful songs and dancing. CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 77 MIN DIRECTOR: EYTAN HARRIS Following the suicide of her daughter, Lilith decides to cremate the girl. Upon this declaration, the head of the Jewish ultraOrthodox organization Zaka, which assists in the recovery of human remains after terrorist attacks, declares an all-out war against Lilith, initiating a series of bizarre trials closely reported on by an outspoken Israeli media. With LONE SAMARITAN (50 MIN) WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • NOON • AG AMOS OZ: THE NATURE OF DREAMS BAR MITZVAH ISRAEL/CANADA 2009, 86 MIN DIRECTORS: MASHA ZUR GLOZMAN, YONATHAN ZUR USA 1935, 75 MIN DIRECTOR: HENRY LYNN Acclaimed writer Amos Oz is well-known both for his support of Israel’s existence and his In his only film performance, Boris Thomashefsky, a pioneer of the American BRIDE FLIGHT CANADIAN PREMIERE NETHERLANDS 2008, 130 MIN DIRECTOR: BEN SOMBOGAART Epic film, opening with a 1953 air race won by a Dutch plane carrying, among others, a group of women to their fiancés in New Zealand, focuses on three of these women and the male hunk who befriends them on the flight. Beautiful photography featuring the New Zealand landscape and a storyline that spans decades make this an intriguing story. Warning: Nudity. WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 8 PM • BC SATURDAY APRIL 24 • 9:15 PM • RH BROTHERS (FRÈRES) SWITZERLAND 2008, 116 MIN DIRECTOR: IGAAL NIDDAM Two brothers, meeting in Israel after years apart, discover how different they have become. One is a secular Jew living on a kibbutz, the other an Orthodox lawyer from the U.S. who has come to Israel to fight a court case highlighting the separation of state and religion in modern Israel. SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 1 PM • RH THE BROTHERS WARNER USA 2008, 90 MIN DIRECTOR: CASS WARNER An intimate portrait of the legendary family who rose from immigrant poverty to create Warner Bros., a major Hollywood studio with a strong social conscience. This film goes beyond the conventional mythology to deliver a very human story of the larger-than-life brothers. SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 1:15 PM • AG THE COMIC ART FORUM EYES WIDE OPEN (EINAYIM PHUHOT) FIVE HOURS FROM PARIS WITH HARVEY PEKAR, BEN KATCHOR AND PAUL BUHLE, 90 MIN ISRAEL/GERMANY/FRANCE 2009, 91 MIN DIRECTOR: HAIM TABAKMAN ISRAEL 2009, 90 MIN DIRECTOR: LEONID PRUDOVSKY What’s new in Jews and comics, and … what’s old! This lively forum with special guests and listeners joining the conversation, will probe familiar questions — why did the comic art form attract Jewish artists in the first place — and go on to recent ones — why is 90 percent of comic art on the web, and where is the industry heading? What happens when an ultra-Orthodox married man in Jerusalem falls in love with another man? That is the dilemma faced by Aaron, after a young man shows up at his butcher shop. He then faces great temptation and risks the condemnation of his entire community. When a divorced cab driver drops his son off at school, he meets a married woman about to leave Israel to join her husband in Canada. Neither is looking for romance, but somehow they find themselves drawn to each other, and their lives are radically transformed. A lovely comic drama. SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 4:00 PM • AG With SINNER (28 MIN) Co-presented with Kulanu MONDAY APRIL 19 • 8 PM • BC TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 8:15 PM • RH COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL CINEMA’S EXILES: FROM HITLER TO HOLLYWOOD USA 2009, 117 MIN DIRECTOR: KAREN THOMAS When Hitler banned Jews from working in Germany’s innovative film industry, artists such as Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang and Peter Lorre, who had created landmarks of the German cinema, fled their homeland for Hollywood. This documentary explores their struggle to recreate themselves in a new culture. SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 1 PM • SC WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 1 PM • BC CLAUDE LANZMANN, AN ODE TO LIFE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE FRANCE 2009, 52 MIN DIRECTOR: SYLVAIN ROUMETTE A documentary portrait of Claude Lanzmann, whose monumental 1985 film Shoah challenged previous cinematic depictions of the Holocaust. The film explores Lanzmann’s time in the French Resistance; his years in post-war Berlin; his relationship with Simone de Beauvoir; and the philosophy behind the moral and artistic choices he made around Shoah. An entertaining, insightful survey of comic books — from the explosive popularity of superheroes in the 1930s and ’40s and the horror comics of the ’50s, to the Mad Magazine era and the underground comix of the ’60s, and beyond. Includes interviews with Art Spiegelman, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and many others. Guest invited. TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 2 PM • AG DUBAK: A PALESTINIAN JEW ISRAEL 2008, 60 MIN DIRECTOR: ELLA ALTERMAN Despite the never-ending cycle of violence between Jewish settlers and their Arab neighbours, Dubak, a complex religious man who lost his son in the conflict, works with the Arabs in setting up a search-andrescue mission to assist those who get lost in the vast Judean desert. A lovely character study. With ACHZIV, A PLACE FOR LOVE (55 MIN) WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 3 PM • AG With GITAI IN SEARCH OF HIS CARMEL (50 MIN) THURSDAY APRIL 22 • NOON • AG ELI & BEN ISRAEL 2008, 90 MIN DIRECTOR: ORI RAVID Twelve-year-old Eli’s world is turned upside down when his father (played by Lior Ashkenazi), the city architect for Herzliya, is accused of taking a bribe. As he faces a barrage of hostility from his friends, Eli is forced to question everything he believes in. SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 6:15 PM • RH EXODUS: THE TRUE STORY COCO CANADIAN PREMIERE FRANCE 2009, 95 MIN DIRECTOR: GAD ELMALEH In this broad slapstick comedy, a well-liked, self-made man goes a little overboard when he learns he has a heart defect: he decides to make a huge spectacle out of his son’s bar mitzvah, inviting some 6,000 guests. With I AM RUTHIE SEGAL, HEAR ME ROAR (10 MIN) MONDAY APRIL 19 • 3:15 PM • BC WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 6 PM • RH NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 79 MIN DIRECTORS: ITZIK LERNER, URI BORREDA The Exodus 1947 was an American riverboat refitted to carry 4,500 Holocaust survivors to Palestine. British warships rammed the vessel and transported the passengers to detention camps in Germany. This film tells the story of their experiences in an accurate depiction of the events. With COHEN ON THE BRIDGE: RESCUE AT ENTEBBE (20 MIN) SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 3:20 PM • SC SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 6 PM • BC FRAGMENTS (RESISIM) CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 50 MIN DIRECTOR: YONATAN HAIMOVICH CANADA 1988, 90 MIN DIRECTOR: RON MANN With THE SECRET OF DRAWING – Daniel Clowes (15 MIN) WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 8:30 PM • SC THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 2:30 PM • AG In this touching documentary, the filmmaker revisits the Jerusalem apartment complex that housed his family upon their emigration from the Soviet Union. The faces, stories and memories of those who shaped his life weave a tapestry of passionate and tragic figures. Guest invited. THE FALSE FOREST AND OTHER PICTURE-STORIES With THE VALDERAMA SISTERS (48 MIN) SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 3:30 PM • AG A READING BY BEN KATCHOR, 60 MIN FRITZ THE CAT In this special live appearance, award-winning graphic novelist Ben Katchor, “the most poetic, deeply layered artist ever to draw a comic strip” (New York Times Book Review), reads from his work, accompanied by projected images of his evocative illustrations, on the subjects of architecture and urban design. Not to be missed. USA 1972, 78 MIN DIRECTOR: RALPH BAKSHI MONDAY APRIL 19 • 8:30 PM • AG The first X-rated animated feature (written, directed and produced by Israeli-born Bakshi) is based on Robert Crumb’s comic strip from the heyday of the underground comix scene. In this cult hit, Fritz the college-aged feline, a smooth FILM LIST operator, gets mixed up in sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll … and the hippie counterculture of the ’60s. explores the community’s debate over the role of the Internet. Guest: Rabbi Tina Grimberg. FRIDAY APRIL 23 • 1 PM • BC SATURDAY APRIL 24 • MIDNIGHT • BC GAY DAYS (HAZMAN HAVAROD) CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 71 MIN DIRECTOR: YAIR QEDAR In 1985, three people were openly gay in Israel. By 1998, this number rose to 3,000. This wonderful film energetically combines archival materials and personal stories of those who pushed for change, to chronicle this largely untold story. Co-presented with the Inside Out Film Festival SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 8:45 PM • AG HEART OF STONE CANADIAN PREMIERE USA 2008, 84 MIN DIRECTOR: BETH TONI KRUVANT Before the 1960s, Newark’s Weequahic High School was an academically distinguished, mostly Jewish enclave immortalized in the novels of Philip Roth, its most famous alumnus. The school has since become crime-ridden, and principal Ron Stone enlists the help of alumni to encourage students to pursue their education and secure their hopes for the future. Guest: Director Beth Toni Kruvant. Co-presented with Facing History and Ourselves WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 5:45 PM • AG HIDDEN CHILDREN (L’AFFAIRE FINALY) GITAI IN SEARCH OF HIS CARMEL NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 50 MIN DIRECTOR: RAN TAL Acclaimed Israeli director Amos Gitai is followed by a camera crew for six weeks during the production of his recent film Carmel. This terrific and touching primer for the director’s work will satisfy both passionate fans and those new to his films. With CLAUDE LANZMANN, AN ODE TO LIFE (52 MIN) THURSDAY APRIL 22 • NOON • AG GLOOMY SUNDAY (EIN LIED VON LIEBE UND TOD) GERMANY/HUNGARY 1999, 110 MIN DIRECTOR: ROLF SCHÜBEL The title of this dramatic and humorous film refers to the notorious 1935 Hungarian “suicide hymn-song,” a haunting melody of hopelessness and despair. When three men fall in love with the same woman, the song links them far beyond the Budapest café where they first meet. A TJFF favourite, back in honour of our 18th year! Warning: Nudity. MONDAY APRIL 19 • 8:15 PM • RH HAREDIM – A DOCUMENTARY TRILOGY CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 150 MIN DIRECTORS: RON OFER, YOHAI HAKAK This three-part award-winning TV documentary offers a rare glimpse into Israel’s Haredi community: Gevald introduces us to a radical ultra-Orthodox leader who organizes demonstrations against the State of Israel; The Rabbi’s Daughter and the Midwife focuses on two women who counsel ultra-Orthodox women on health and birth control; and Religion.com Holocaust and lives in Toronto. The teacher’s students tell the story, which carries us from despair to hope. Guests: Director Larry Weinstein and Hana’s brother, George Brady. SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 3:30 PM • RH THE IRENE HILDA STORY (L’HISTOIRE D’IRENE) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE FRANCE 2009, 45 MIN DIRECTOR: DAMIAN PETTIGREW The story of Jewish cabaret singer Irene Hilda and her conductor brother, Bernard, who became part of Paris’s jazz scene until the fall of France, when they were separated and forced into exile. Like the title character, this lovely documentary exudes a contagious love of life. With AHEAD OF TIME (73 MIN) TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 5:30 PM • AG THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 6:30 PM • SC out as a name of a Palestinian town before becoming a successful Israeli brand. Now, the film suggests, the Jaffa orange is an image bound with ideological significance. Guest invited. TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 8:15 PM • BC THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 9:15 PM • SC THE JAZZ BARONESS UK 2008, 90 MIN DIRECTOR: HANNAH ROTHSCHILD The intriguing story of jazz aficionado Baroness Pannonica Rothschild, her relationship with pianist/composer Thelonius Monk and the mystery of why her family wanted the baroness’s past kept quiet. Beautifully augmented by Helen Mirren’s readings from the baroness’s diary and a soundtrack featuring songs Monk wrote for the baroness. MONDAY APRIL 19 • 2:45 PM • AG FRANCE 2008, 90 MIN DIRECTOR: FABRICE GENESTAL IRREVERENT IMAGINATION: THE GOLDEN AGE OF LOONEY TUNES JOANN SFAR DRAWS FROM MEMORY A French couple arrange for a Gentile woman to care for their two sons when they are transported to concentration camps. After the war, their aunt in Israel finds herself in a battle with the Church for custody of the boys, who have since been baptized. An engrossing, wellmade drama based on a true story. USA 2003, 50 MIN DIRECTOR: CONSTANTINE NASR WORK-IN-PROGRESS FRANCE/USA 2010, 60 MIN DIRECTOR: SAM BALL With SARAH & HAYAH (2 MIN) SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 1 PM • BC TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 4:30 PM • SC HONOR (KAVOD) CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2010, 120 MIN DIRECTOR: HAIM BOUZAGLO This compelling portrait of the Israeli “mafia” focuses on two Moroccan families who declare war on each other in a dispute over an Eastern European casino. Made with sensitivity and attention to detail, especially in its depiction of the religious rituals and status of women within the two families. Warning: Nudity and violence. Guest: Director Haim Bouzaglo SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 6:15 PM • AG MONDAY APRIL 19 • 6:15 PM • SC IDA’S DANCE CLUB CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 59 MIN DIRECTOR: DALIT KIMOR Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other indelible characters exploded onto the screen from the Warner Bros. animation studio. This is the story of how producer Leon Schlesinger, director “Friz” Freleng, voice actor Mel Blanc and composer Carl Stalling collaborated with animators and writers to create the wacky, wonderful Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Guest invited. This work-in-progress tracks Joann Sfar, author of The Rabbi’s Cat and Klezmer, on an odyssey through the dual Algerian and Eastern European family heritage that is the wellspring of his work. Co-produced by Sophie Constantinou, Estelle Fialon and Valerie Joseph. Guests: Director Sam Ball and Executive Producer Valerie Joseph. With LOONEY TUNES CARTOONS (30 MIN) With PLEASURES OF URBAN DECAY (18 MIN) SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 11 AM • AG ISRAEL LTD. CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL/CANADA 2009, 52 MIN DIRECTOR: MOR LOUSHY This documentary follows three North American Jews who go to Israel on a youth program and explores their reaction to the country, its military and its ethos of sacrifice. The provocative film also invites us to reflect on the image Israel presents of itself around the world. Guest invited. With PRRRIDE (3 MIN) FRIDAY APRIL 23 • 2:15 PM • AG A charming documentary about a dance club in Israel that takes people away from the misery of everyday life. At the annual ballroom dance competition, the participants are past retirement age, but that doesn’t limit them. They dance; they sing; they fall in love. SPECIAL PRESENTATION & CONCERT THE KLEZMATICS: ON HOLY GROUND WORLD PREMIERE USA 2010, 108 MIN DIRECTOR: ERIK GREENBERG ANJOU For over 20 years The Klezmatics have been at the vanguard of the international klezmer revival movement. Following the group through tours in the U.S., Germany and Poland, this strikingly honest documentary portrait reveals the challenges faced by exceptionally creative musicians as they strive to continue making joyous, boundarybreaking music, while balancing the demands of family, career and their own individual personalities. Made by the filmmaker who brought us A Cantor’s Tale (TJFF 2006). Guest invited. LIVE IN CONCERT! KLEZMATICS MEMBERS FRANK LONDON, LORIN SKLAMBERG AND LISA GUTKIN (30 MIN) With POINT OF VIEW (18 MIN) WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 4:30 PM • SC INSIDE HANA’S SUITCASE JAFFA, THE ORANGE’S CLOCKWORK CANADA/CZECH REPUBLIC 2009, 88 MIN DIRECTOR: LARRY WEINSTEIN CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL/FRANCE/BELGIUM/GERMANY 2009, 92 MIN DIRECTOR: EYAL SIVAN Documentary about a teacher who, opening a Holocaust museum in Japan, obtains a suitcase from Auschwitz with the name Hana Brady on it. It turns out Hana’s brother survived the SATURDAY APRIL 24 • 7 PM • BC This revealing documentary tells the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the symbol of the iconic Jaffa orange, which started The Grammy award-winning Klezmatics are known for their unique brand of wild, mystical, provocative, reflective and ecstatically danceable music. Come celebrate this World Premiere screening with a special pre-film live performance. Co-sponsored by The Ashkenaz Foundation THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 8 PM • BC LAST SON THE LONERS (HABODEDIM) CANADIAN PREMIERE USA 2009, 60 MIN DIRECTOR: BRAD RICCA CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 92 MIN DIRECTOR: RENEN SCHORR Superman took the world by storm when Toronto-born Joe Shuster and Cleveland native Jerome Siegel created the character for DC Comics in 1938. Incorporating never-beforeseen archival footage, this documentary traces the fascinating story behind the origins of the iconic superhero. Guest invited. Two Russian-speaking immigrants serving in the Israeli army are accused of treason, and their demand for a retrial falls on deaf ears. Increasingly desperate as they lose their freedom and dignity in prison, they attempt one last-ditch effort to be heard. A long-awaited dramatic feature by Renen Schorr (Late Summer Blues). With FLEISCHER BROTHERS SUPERMAN CARTOONS (30 MIN) TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 8:15 PM • AG THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 5:30 PM • BC SATURDAY APRIL 24 • 9:15 PM • SC LEBANON ISRAEL/GERMANY/FRANCE 2009, 94 MIN DIRECTOR: SAMUEL MAOZ During the first Lebanon War, a mission to find PLO terrorists in a small Lebanese town turns into a nightmare as members of a lone tank crew find themselves in a situation they cannot control: the main question for the young men inside the tank becomes whether to kill or be killed. Winner of the Venice Film Festival Golden Lion. Warning: Violence and nudity. A retired teacher wakes up wheelchair-bound in a geriatric ward and starts a long convalescence among strangers. Eventually she discovers a new life and new friends, including a flirtatious former soccer player, and returns home reluctantly. Until a knock on her door changes her life … TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 3:15 PM • BC WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 6:15 PM • SC NOODLE ISRAEL 2007, 90 MIN DIRECTOR: AYELET MENAHEMI Miri’s Chinese domestic disappears, leaving her young son abandoned. When Miri discovers that the woman was apprehended and deported to Beijing from Israel because of illegal documentation, she is determined to reunite mother and son, taking advantage of her position as a flight attendant with El-Al. A hit from the past. MONDAY APRIL 19 • 6 PM • RH NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE GERMANY 2009, 88 MIN DIRECTOR: DIRK REGEL USA 1996, 86 MIN DIRECTOR: SUSAN WARMS DRYFOOS THE MAD PLAYBOY OF ART WORK-IN-PROGRESS USA 2010, 90 MIN DIRECTOR: GARY VANDENBERGH Comic-book artist Will Elder epitomized the essence of the legendary Mad Magazine’s zany humour and irreverent satire. This entertaining look at the man, his times and his work includes interviews with Mad editor Harvey Kurtzman, Jerry Garcia, Terry Gilliam, writer/cartoonist Al Jaffee and others. Guests: Director Gary VandenBergh and Nancy Elder VandenBergh, Will Elder’s daughter. SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 6:15 PM • AG MENSCH LONE SAMARITAN CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 50 MIN DIRECTOR: BARAK HEYMANN An intimate look at a tiny sect who have strict rules about assimilation because of their fear of extinction. When an Israeli TV personality and her three sisters leave the Samaritan community, their father, one of its most wellknown figures, is excommunicated because of his children’s rejection of the sect. With AS LILITH (77 MIN) WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • NOON • AG An African-American teenager with white Jewish lesbian parents and adopted brothers questions her own race, identity and family. This film follows her through the most difficult period of her life as she discovers the strength of family bonds and the lengths people go to become themselves. OH, WHAT A MESS (SO EIN SCHLAMASSEL) THE LINE KING: THE AL HIRSCHFELD STORY FRIDAY APRIL 23 • 4:00 PM • AG TORONTO PREMIERE USA 2009, 76 MIN DIRECTOR: NICOLE OPPER SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 11 AM • BC THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 8:15 PM • AG SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 3:30 PM • RH A rich portrait of the remarkable Al Hirschfeld, famous for his caricatures of show-biz personalities that graced the New York Times Arts section for decades. The film reveals this influential artist’s masterful ability to depict the essence of an image in a deceptively simple line, and features interviews with Lauren Bacall, Carol Channing, Jules Feiffer and others. OFF AND RUNNING NORA’S WILL (CINCO DIAS SIN NORA) TORONTO PREMIERE MEXICO 2008, 92 MIN DIRECTOR: MARIANA CHENILLO Before José’s ex-wife, Nora, committed suicide, she made preparations for the Passover seder and arranged for José to take care of the funeral arrangements. Nora’s preparations and José’s determination not to follow orders create an increasingly farcical atmosphere, not unlike their life together. Co-presented with Rendezvous with Madness MONDAY APRIL 19 • 1 PM • BC TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 6 PM • RH CANADIAN PREMIERE FRANCE 2009, 87 MIN DIRECTOR: STEVE SUISSA NOT IDLY BY: PETER BERGSON, AMERICA AND THE HOLOCAUST An excellent safecracker tries to balance his career with the demands of his family. When he agrees to join in a large jewel heist, he risks the collapse of his two worlds. Compelling and suspenseful, Mensch offers an intriguing character study and exploration of family relations. CANADIAN PREMIERE USA 2009, 40 MIN DIRECTOR: PIERRE SAUVAGE SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 1:15 PM • AG MRS. MOSKOWITZ & THE CATS TORONTO PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 83 MIN DIRECTOR: JORGE GURVICH Portrait of Peter Bergson, who was raised in Palestine and came to the U.S. in 1940, committed to exposing evidence of the Nazis’ destruction of European Jewry and energizing Western countries to open their gates to refugees. A powerful and moving portrait of an unstoppable individual and the timid American Jewish community he confronted. With WHAT IF? THE HELENE MAYER STORY (48 MIN) WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 3:30 PM • BC Jil fears her strict Jewish family will not accept the man of her dreams, who is Christian. The couple decides to fool the family by pretending he is Jewish. A refreshing portrait of contemporary Jewish life in Berlin and the distinctive forms that culture clash and intermarriage take there. WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 5:45 PM • BC THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 4:30 PM • SC PAINT WHAT YOU REMEMBER CANADIAN PREMIERE POLAND 2009, 30 MIN DIRECTOR: SLAWOMIR GRUNBERG Mayer Kirshenblatt left Poland in 1934 at 17 and emigrated to Toronto. In 1990 he began painting and completed more than 300 canvases depicting the world he left behind, before his death in 2009. This film follows him on a journey back to his hometown. Guest invited. With BENEATH THE EYE OF TIME (3 MIN) and PAINTING DADDY (7 MIN) TUESDAY APRIL 20 • NOON • AG PAUL BUHLE TALK – “JEWS AND COMIC ART” 90 MIN Using film clips and observations, comics scholar Paul Buhle explores the connections between Jews and comic art on the printed page and on screen, offering one of the most enigmatic and valuable sagas in all Jewish/ popular cultural life, from Betty Boop to Mad Magazine, and up to present day. SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 11 AM • AG FILM LIST THE PEOPLE V. LEO FRANK SAYED KASHUA: FOREVER SCARED THE VALDERAMA SISTERS USA 2009, 86 MIN DIRECTOR: BEN LOETERMAN CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 56 MIN DIRECTOR: DORIT ZIMBALIST NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 48 MIN DIRECTORS: NOAM DEMSKY, MORDI KERSHNER Documentary about Sayed Kashua, the writer of the Israeli hit comedy series Arab Labor and a regular columnist for the Israel newspaper Ha’aretz, who writes about his life as an Israeli Arab living in a Jewish society and the problems he encounters as a member of a minority within the Jewish state. These strong, independent sisters are part of Peru’s Bnei Moshe community — former Catholics in the last throes of converting to Judaism, in hopes of immigrating to Israel. This documentary follows these sisters from their conversion to the culture shock that marks their arrival in Israel. A lovely and poignant story. With ARAB LABOR (30 MIN) With FRAGMENTS (50 MIN) The events leading up to the 1913 lynching of Leo Frank, an American Jew wrongfully accused of murdering a young girl, are recreated through transcripts, documents and letters in this thought-provoking look at prejudice in the early20th-century American South. Guest: Director Ben Loeterman. TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 5:30 PM • BC FRIDAY APRIL 23 • NOON • AG SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 3:30 PM • AG VICTORIA DAY CANADA 2009, 82 MIN DIRECTOR: DAVID BEZMOZGIS On a Victoria Day weekend in the late 1980s, a group of kids from Toronto’s Russian Jewish community go to a Bob Dylan concert at Ontario Place. When one boy fails to return home, members of the community search for him, while the nation is focused on the Edmonton Oilers’ playoff run. Guest: Director David Bezmozgis. In German-occupied Prague, a radio host is obsessively in love with his wife, a Jewish screen actress. To protect her, he agrees to become the official radio voice of the Nazi Party. But his success as a collaborator threatens to destroy the very thing he’s trying to protect. Warning: Nudity. With SO SOON FORGOTTEN (15 MIN) THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 5:30 PM • AG SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN (SHEVA DAKOT BE’GAN EDEN) ISRAEL/FRANCE/HUNGARY 2009, 94 MIN DIRECTOR: OMRI GIVON A young woman from Jerusalem cannot recall the terrorist bombing that left her boyfriend in a coma and herself with severe burns and memory loss. As people and objects resurface from that fateful day, she begins to revisit that traumatic incident. This complex character study probes the deeper themes of memory and identity. MONDAY APRIL 19 • 5:45 PM • BC TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 6:45 PM • SC SIMON KONIANSKI BELGIUM/FRANCE/CANADA 2009, 97 MIN DIRECTOR: MICHA WALD RE-BIRTH (REVIVRE) (2 PARTS) CANADIAN PREMIERE FRANCE 2009, 135 MIN/PART DIRECTOR: HAIM BOUZAGLO The years between World War II and the Declaration of the State of Israel witnessed a battle of wills between Jews in Palestine and the British rulers who sought to prevent immigration. This French miniseries tells the story of a boat of European Holocaust survivors and North African refugees hoping to reach their Promised Land. Guest: Director Haim Bouzaglo. With SUMMER CAMP (6 MIN) PART 1: MONDAY APRIL 19 • 9:15 PM • SC WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 8:30 PM • RH PART 2: TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 9 PM • SC THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 8:30 PM • RH MONDAY APRIL 19 • 5:30 PM • AG WILL EISNER: PORTRAIT OF A SEQUENTIAL ARTIST USA 2007, 96 MIN DIRECTOR: ANDREW D. COOKE Will Eisner, named “the most influential comic artist of all time,” transformed the funny papers by creating a new art form — the graphic novel. His life, work and times are wonderfully brought to life in this film, which includes interviews with Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, Art Spiegelman and others. With MUNRO (9 min) WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 8:30 PM • AG SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 8:30 PM • RH PROTECTOR (PROTEKTOR) CZECH REPUBLIC 2009, 98 MIN DIRECTOR: MAREK NAJBRT and ride the streetcar lines about to be put out of business. New bosses in town employ thugs to get rid of anyone in their way.” Guest: Author Paul Buhle. Simon, an underemployed schlimazel, moves in with his father, who takes out his disappointments on his son. When his father passes away, Simon ventures across Europe in an absurd journey with the dead body, causing him to confront the culture he’s been so desperately trying to shed. A poignant and quirky comedy. Warning: Nudity. Guest invited. With (ROCK THE) BELZ (5 MIN) SATURDAY APRIL 24 • 9:15 PM • AG SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 3:30 PM • SC ULTIMATUM CANADIAN PREMIERE FRANCE/ISRAEL/ITALY 2009, 102 MIN DIRECTOR: ALAIN TASMA This moving drama, which follows two French expats and their small group of friends living in Israel, depicts what it was like for young people to live in fear of chemical weapons during the Persian Gulf War, revealing how war strips people of their pretenses and leaves them in a vulnerable state. THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 3:15 PM • BC SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 1 PM • RH WHAT IF? THE HELENE MAYER STORY CANADIAN PREMIERE RUSSIA/GERMANY/USA 2008, 48 MIN DIRECTOR: SEMYON PINKHASOY This documentary tells the little-known story of fencer Helene Mayer who, in the 1930s, moved to the U.S. after being kicked out of a German fencing club for being half-Jewish. During the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, the International Olympic Committee pressured Germany not to discriminate against Jewish athletes. When Germany invited Mayer back to represent them to appease the IOC, she agreed, and many believe this gesture helped whitewash the Nazi racial policies. A great companion to Berlin ’36. WILLIAM KUNSTLER: DISTURBING THE UNIVERSE USA 2009, 85 MIN DIRECTORS: EMILY KUNSTLER, SARAH KUNSTLER Radical civil rights lawyer William Kunstler took on some of the most controversial cases of the 20th century, defending the Chicago 8, Martin Luther King, the Attica inmates and mafia king John Gotti. This powerful, honest documentary made by his daughters is an attempt to understand their father. Guest invited. Co-presented with Human Rights Watch SUNDAY APRIL 25 • 3:30 PM • BC With NOT IDLY BY (40 MIN) WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 • 3:30 PM • BC WHERE I STAND: THE HANK GREENSPUN STORY CANADIAN PREMIERE USA 2008, 98 MIN DIRECTOR: SCOTT GOLDSTEIN Depending on where you stand, Hank Greenspun was a convicted gunrunner, Las Vegas visionary, crusading newspaper publisher, target of the Watergate burglars or hero of Israel’s War of Independence. Narrated by Anthony Hopkins, this documentary gives us both the heroic moments of Greenspun’s career and his flaws. Guest invited. With TEN FOR GRANDPA (8 MIN) SUNDAY APRIL 18 • 3:15 PM • BC WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT USA 1988, 104 MIN DIRECTOR: ROBERT ZEMECKIS Author Paul Buhle calls this ground-breaking animated feature “an ‘inside Hollywood’ story revisiting 1940s noir themes of the Blacklist era in satirical form. The ‘toons’ are ordinary studio workers, the kind who belong to unions THE WOLBERG FAMILY (LA FAMILLE WOLBERG) CANADIAN PREMIERE FRANCE 2009, 80 MIN DIRECTOR: AXELLE ROPERT Simon Wolberg, the mayor of a small French provincial town, is madly in love with his wife and is a prying father to his young daughter and son. His obsession with his family leads him to self-destructively test these bonds. A sensitive family drama. TUESDAY APRIL 20 • 1 PM • BC THURSDAY APRIL 22 • 6 PM • RH THE WORST COMPANY IN THE WORLD CANADIAN PREMIERE ISRAEL 2009, 50 MIN DIRECTOR: REGEV CONTES This documentary focuses on a unique group of men who try to run an insurance company. The only trouble is that they are utter failures in their venture. Friendship and family ties turn out to be more important than profits, and the company staggers along in its own merry way. With GEFILTE FISH (10 MIN) MONDAY APRIL 19 • 4:30 PM • SC FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE WEDNESDAY APRIL 21, 2010 SATURDAY APRIL 17, 2010 9:15 PM A Matter of Size Bloor SUNDAY APRIL 18, 2010 11:00 AM 11:00 AM 1:00 PM 1:00 PM 1:00 PM 1:15 PM 3:15 PM 3:20 PM 3:30 PM 4:00 PM 5:30 PM 6:15 PM 6:15 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 8:45 PM Off and Running Paul Buhle Talk - Jews and Comic Art Hidden Children Cinema’s Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood Brothers Mensch Where I Stand: The Hank Greenspun Story Exodus: The True Story Inside Hana’s Suitcase The Comic Art Forum Anita Honor Eli & Ben Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today A Matter of Size Victoria Day Gay Days Bloor Al Green Bloor Sheppard SilverCity Al Green Bloor Sheppard SilverCity Al Green Sheppard Al Green SilverCity Bloor Sheppard SilverCity Al Green MONDAY APRIL 19, 2010 NOON 1:00 PM 2:45 PM 3:15 PM 4:30 PM 5:30 PM 5:45 PM 6:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:00 PM 8:15 PM 8:30 PM 9:15 PM American Splendor Nora’s Will The Jazz Baroness Coco The Worst Company in the World Who Framed Roger Rabbit Seven Minutes in Heaven Noodle Honor Eyes Wide Open Gloomy Sunday The False Forest and Other Pictures-Stories Re-Birth Part 1 Al Green Bloor Al Green Bloor Sheppard Al Green Bloor SilverCity Sheppard Bloor SilverCity Al Green Sheppard TUESDAY APRIL 20, 2010 NOON 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:15 PM 4:30 PM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM 6:00 PM 6:45 PM 8:15 PM 8:15 PM 8:15 PM 9:00 PM Paint What You Remember The Wolberg Family Comic Book Confidential Mrs. Moscowitz & the Cats Hidden Children The People v. Leo Frank Ahead of Time w/ The Irene Hilda Story Nora’s Will Seven Minutes In Heaven Jaffa, the Orange’s Clockwork Last Son w/ Superman Cartoons Eyes Wide Open Re-Birth Part 2 NOON 1:00 PM 3:00 PM 3:30 PM 4:30 PM 5:45 PM 5:45 PM 6:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 8:30 PM 8:30 PM As Lilith w/ Lone Samaritan Cinema’s Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood Dubak: A Palestinian Jew w/ Achziv, A Place for Love What If? The Helene Mayer Story w/ Not Idly By Ida’s Dance Club Heart of Stone Oh, What a Mess Coco Mrs. Moscowitz & the Cats Bride Flight Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist Five Hours from Paris Re-Birth Part 1 Al Green Bloor Al Green Bloor Sheppard Al Green Bloor SilverCity Sheppard Bloor Al Green Sheppard SilverCity THURSDAY APRIL 22, 2010 NOON 1:00 PM 2:30 PM 3:15 PM 4:30 PM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM 6:00 PM 6:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:15 PM 8:30 PM 9:15 PM Claude Lanzmann w/ Gitai in Search of His Carmel Anita Five Hours from Paris Ultimatum Oh, What a Mess The Loners Protector The Wolberg Family Ahead of Time w/ The Irene Hilda Story The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground Lebanon Re-Birth Part 2 Jaffa, the Orange’s Clockwork Al Green Bloor Al Green Bloor Sheppard Bloor Al Green SilverCity Sheppard Bloor Al Green SilverCity Sheppard FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2010 NOON 1:00 PM 2:15 PM 4:00 PM Sayed Kashua: Forever Sacred w/ Arab Labor Haredim - A Documentary Trilogy Israel Ltd. The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story Al Green Bloor Al Green Al Green SATURDAY APRIL 24, 2010 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 9:15 PM 9:15 PM 9:15 PM MIDNIGHT Joann Sfar Draws from Memory Berlin ’36 Simon Konianski The Loners Bride Flight Fritz the Cat Bloor Bloor Al Green Sheppard SilverCity Bloor SUNDAY APRIL 25, 2010 Al Green Bloor Al Green Bloor Sheppard Bloor Al Green SilverCity Sheppard Bloor Al Green SilverCity Sheppard 11:00 AM 11:00 AM 1:00 PM 1:00 PM 1:15 PM 1:30 PM 3:30 PM 3:30 PM 3:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:45 PM Bar Mitzvah Irreverent Imagination: The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Berlin ’36 Ultimatum The Brothers Warner Amos Oz: The Nature of Dreams William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Fragments w/ The Valderama Sisters Simon Konianski Lebanon Exodus: The True Story The Mad Playboy of Art Ajami Bloor Al Green Sheppard SilverCity Al Green Bloor Bloor Al Green Sheppard SilverCity Bloor Al Green Bloor FILM LIST The 18th Toronto Jewish Film Festival • April 17–25, 2010 TICKETS NOW ON SALE! 416-967-1528 FILM SELECTION ONLINE FESTIVAL BOX OFFICES — April 18–25 Pick your films from this flyer or visit tjff.com for more film information and schedule changes that may occur. Order tickets on line at tjff.com or by phone: 416-967-1528 Bloor Cinema* (Opens April 17) PRICES IN-PERSON ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASES Single Tickets: $12 Opening Night: $20 Special Presentations: $20 Senior/Student Tickets: $7 (ID required) Weekday Matinees: $7 (Monday–Friday, screenings before 5 pm) Service charges will apply. April 1–17 Free Student Admission: Subject to availability. Five minutes prior to each screening, students with ID will be admitted for free from a Rush Line. Free Screenings: All free events are ticketed and are subject to availability. Please note: Free programs can be booked in advance, in person only, at any TJFF box office. Maximum 2 tickets per person. 506 Bloor Street West at Bathurst (Bathurst Subway Stn.) TJFF Box Office, 19 Madison Avenue, downstairs Monday–Friday 1–7pm Saturday & Sunday 12–5 pm The main entry/exit to the box office is not wheelchair accessible. April 11–17 Cineplex Odeon Sheppard Centre Cinemas 4861 Yonge Street at Sheppard (Sheppard Subway Station) Monday–Friday 2–6 pm Saturday & Sunday 2–6 pm (Closed Good Friday and Easter Monday) Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal JCC 750 Spadina Avenue at Bloor (Spadina Subway Station) Cineplex Odeon Sheppard Centre Cinemas 4861 Yonge Street at Sheppard (Sheppard Subway Station) This box office will not be open on Friday April 23. SilverCity Richmond Hill 8771 Yonge Street at Hwy 7 This box office will not be open on Friday April 23. * Please note: The Bloor Cinema box office will be open on April 17 for Opening Night tickets only. During the Festival, venue box offices open 1 hour before the first scheduled screening of the day and close 30 minutes after the start of the last screening of the day. For complete ticket policies, see the full Festival Schedule or visit tjff.com. 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