Films Shown February 2019
Please scroll down to see all films

93QUEEN follows a group of tenacious Hasidic women who smash the patriarchy in their community by creating the first all-female volunteer ambulance corps in New York City. 

For decades, enclaves of ultra-Orthodox Jews across New York City have received emergency medical care from an all-male Jewish ambulance service called Hatzolah. While life-threatening situations allow for some leeway in strict prohibitions on contact between the sexes, some Orthodox women remained reluctant to call for help. Led by tireless, charismatic attorney Rachel "Ruchie" Freier, some women in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn decided to create Ezras Nashim, the first all-female volunteer ambulance corps in all of New York City. The organization is controversial among some ultra-Orthodox Jews, who see it as an erosion of traditional gender roles and a Trojan horse that invites secularism into their neighborhoods. With unprecedented—and insider—access (the director herself is Orthodox), 93QUEEN offers up a unique portrayal of a group of religious women who are taking matters into their own hands to change their own community from within.

USA • 2018

90 MINUTES

ENGLISH

DOCUMENTARY

Paula Eiselt

Left to fend for themselves in Nazi-occupied France, two Jewish brothers must rely on their courage and cunning to escape Nazi barbarism and avoid capture in the lavish, family-friendly adventure A BAG OF MARBLES. 

In 1941 Paris, with the merciless persecution of Jews underway, young Joseph and Maurice are forced to flee their home and make their way south to the demilitarized zone, their best hope of survival. Aided only by their own ingenuity and the occasional kindness of others, the boys set off on a dangerous mission, overcoming extraordinary odds in hopes of one day reuniting with their family in the "safe zone". This suspenseful and heartwarming adaptation of the classic novel is based on a true story of Joseph Josso and features stunning scenery, immaculate period detail, and an ensemble of outstanding performances. A BAG OF MARBLES is a heart-rending tale of the incredible power of brotherly love.

***suitable for ages 10 years and older

FRANCE • 2017

110 MINUTES

French, German, Russian and Yiddish w/English subtitles

DRAMA

Christian Duguay

Janice Friebaum has a master’s degree in Jewish and Holocaust Studies.  She is the immediate past chair of Generations After – Descendants of Holocaust Survivors in Greater Phoenix, and presently serves as Vice President of the Phoenix Holocaust Association.  Janice is a member of the Coordinating Council of Generations of the Shoah, International, and recently served as a member of the Advisory Council of the Martin Springer Institute at NAU.  She conducts speaker trainings for survivor descendants' groups and trainings for frontline health care workers and others who assist aging Holocaust survivors. Janice gives presentations related to the Holocaust at academic conferences, colleges, secondary schools, religious congregations, and at various public, private and non-profit events.

Shea 14 & Tempe Marketplace 16

BROADWAY MUSICALS: A JEWISH LEGACY explores the unique role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern American musical and many of the songs that comprise the "American Songbook". 

Over the fifty-year period of its development, the songs of the Broadway musicals were created almost exclusively by Jewish Americans. These are the popular songs that our nation took to war, sang to its children at bedtime, and whistled while waiting for the bus. A virtual behind-the-scenes-of-Broadway, the documentary is an engaging, humorous and provocative film, mixing and mingling ethnic cultural history with entertaining perspectives on the origins and meaning of some of Broadway's most beloved songs, stories and shows. Historically fascinating and grandly entertaining, BROADWAY MUSICALS: A JEWISH LEGACY is a tune-filled dissertation on the incalculable influence of Jewish composers, from Irving Berlin to Stephen Sondheim to Stephen Schwartz, and Jewish musical idioms shaping the evolution of this great American art form.

USA • 2013

90 MINUTES

ENGLISH

DOCUMENTARY

Michael Kantor

Baruch Koritan has served as Cantor at Temple Beth Shalom in Sun City since 1992.  He studied at the Philadelphia Institute of Music, Temple University, and the University of Madrid. He has sung in Israel, Austria, and Canada, performing in numerous operas, concerts, and musicals, including the title role in the AZ premiere of Sweeney Todd and the role of Lancelot in Camelot.  He is on the faculty of the Bureau of Jewish Education and teaches various courses related to Broadway and Hollywood musicals.

Cantor Koritan is a voice teacher, coaching students both privately and in classes  He composes liturgical music and served as the president of the Arizona Composers’ Forum. In addition, he was pianist  for seven years at  the Phoenician in Scottsdale. 

Peoria 14 and Tempe Marketplace

CALL ME ALVY — A boy’s obsession with Woody Allen sends his mother to desperate measures before his bar mitzvah day arrives.

Showing at PEORIA PARK WEST 16 and TEMPE MARKETPLACE 16

When a young Jewish prostitute is found beaten to death in BUDAPEST NOIR, no one is interested in solving the bizarre crime except the cynical but inquisitive crime reporter, Zsigmond Gordon, who feels things are not what they seem. Murky clues eventually lead to a shadowy world of pornographers and brothels, crime syndicates and communist cells, and the highest echelons of power, just as Hungary's fascist-leaning government prepares to align with Hitler. The more people try to scare him away, the deeper Zsigmond digs in, not knowing who to trust, or what ulterior motives are working against him and the truth.

Driven by one thing, finding the girl's killer, the increasingly endangered journalist is the only one who seems to care in a world gone mad, with Hitler looming on Hungary's horizon. Based on the internationally best-selling novel by the same name and drawing on the complexities of Hungarian life in pre-war Europe, BUDAPEST NOIR is a richly atmospheric murder mystery and politically-charged tale of corruption and betrayal which will leave rapt audiences guessing until its surprising climax.

Hungary • 2018

95 MINUTES

HUNGARIAN W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA

Eva Gardos

Avner suspects his wife Ella of having an affair. If you're married, and even if you are not, you know that things don't always go smoothly. When you add a spouse's infidelity into the mix you're looking at serious emotional upheaval.

Instead of confronting Ella, he secretly records her telephone conversations. He turns into a spy in his own home, listening again and again.  Seeking out incriminating clues, he searches for one thing and discovers quite another. 

Ella, the woman to whom he is listening, is a stranger to him, so very different from the woman he thought he knew. He tries to understand this new woman and to decode the relationships, but the more he knows, the less he understands. ECHO highlights the true-to-life depiction of the delicate intricacies of relationships.

ISRAEL • 2018

98 MINUTES

HEBREW W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA

Amikam Kovner & Assaf Snir

A family's life FRACTURES and comes apart after the husband is accused of sexual misconduct with one of his students. 

Oded, a distinguished professor and research scientist, and Merav, an artist and teacher, live a quiet, happily married life. However, in the course of a single day, their marriage rips out from under them. Noa, a former student of Oded, comes forward to the police and accuses the professor of sexual coercion. Although he outright rejects her claims, the evidence appears indisputable. The media reports the story and the shaming in social networks hits hard and fast. As the case becomes public, Merav, Oded, and Noa must decide how to navigate their own truths, while considering the repercussions their actions could have on their families, careers, and reputations. With the birth of the #MeToo movement, FRACTURES is more relevant than ever; a searing drama that exposes the consequences of an accusation and the shattering effects it has on all surrounding parties.

Israel • 2017

83 MINUTES

HEBREW W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA

Arik Lubetzky

GOLDA'S BALCONY, THE FILM is a rare multi-camera shoot from the original Broadway run of the play about Golda Meir, Israel's only female Prime Minister.  

GOLDA'S BALCONY, THE FILM defies categorization — it's a film of a play that plays like a film. The original Broadway performance was riveting and won every award in New York, but no one who saw it ever got right up close and personal to it — until now. Stage and television actress Tovah Feldshuh recreates her award-winning performance as Golda Meir in the final masterpiece by William Gibson, the author of "The Miracle Worker." The play follows the trajectory of the life of Golda Meir from Russian immigrant to American schoolteacher to a leader of international politics as the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. As a play on Broadway and off, the work sold out over 500 performances, becoming not only the longest-running, one-woman show in Broadway history, but earning accolades from the likes of luminaries including Elie Wiesel. Where else can you see an award winning hit Broadway show — GOLDA'S BALCONY, THE FILM — for the price of a movie ticket, than at the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival?

USA • 2019

85 MINUTES

ENGLISH

DOCUMENTARY

SCOTT SCHWARTZ

Website:

goldasbalcony.org

David J. "Dave" Fishelson  is an American producer, playwright, and director for film, theatre, television and radio, based in Manhattan since 1982. He is best known for being the lead producer of Golda's Balcony, the longest-running one-woman show in Broadway history (2003–05); and for being the founder/producer of Manhattan Ensemble Theatre ("MET"), an award-winning Off-Broadway theatre company located in SoHo, New York City. As a filmmaker, his work has been broadcast on PBS, exhibited theatrically, and selected for 12 international film festivals (winning at 3). As a theatre producer and playwright (both on Broadway and off), his work has garnered 31 nominations from the various awards organizations and winning 11. As producer of Golda’s Balcony, The Film, it was my proudest moment as a producer, to hear these words from Elie Weisel: "The hardest thing to do is combine ART and HISTORY to tell the truth. You and your GOLDA team have done it, with "GOLDA'S BALCONY."

Shea 14 & Tempe Marketplace

RESCUE BUS 300 is an intense cinematic ride based on the true story of armed Palestinian terrorists who hijack an Israeli bus and lead the passengers not only towards the refugee camps in Gaza, but, possibly to oblivion. 

Four terrorists board a night-time bus in 1984 heading from Tel Aviv to Ashkelon, and 41 innocent passengers and a bus driver find themselves thrust into a nightmarish ride reminiscent of an action movie. Police, military and even civilians give chase and shoot out its tires as the bus continues its insane drive towards the Israeli border with Egypt, crashing through makeshift barriers before grinding to a halt in the Gaza Strip. The terrorists then barricade themselves and the passengers inside as tense negotiations, including the demand for 500 prisoners to be released, continue through the night. Events culminate in the Israeli commando unit's daring pre-dawn rescue mission. 

RESCUE BUS 300 brings the incident to life from multiple perspectives: real people hurled into the midst of a terrifying ordeal, nervous armed terrorists, desperate families, young soldiers placing themselves in mortal danger, politicians faced with an impossible choice, and the commanders making the call on life-or-death decisions. After the successful rescue there was significant negative political and moral fallout.

ISRAEL • 2017

75 MINUTES

Hebrew w/English subtitles

THRILLER

Rotem Shamir

A photographer uncovers a SCANDAL IN IVANSK when he travels to a small, Polish town in search of Jewish headstones and, more specifically, his grandfather's life, death, and memories. 

In the small Polish town of Ivansk one word ignites a nationwide controversy: "collaborator."  Most of Ivansk's Jews were killed by the Nazis, and the headstones in the Jewish cemetery were plundered for construction.  A group of descendants of Ivansk Jews restored the town's cemetery, retrieving found headstones as they were identified.  When they commissioned a plaque including the word "collaborator," a national scandal was unleashed as to the meaning and purpose of this designation. 

This controversy proved to be a harbinger of the Polish government's recent passage of a law criminalizing any mention of Poles being responsible or complicit in the Nazi crimes committed and which mandates severe penalties for references to Nazi-era concentration camps such as Auschwitz as "Polish death camps." 

SCANDAL IN IVANSK strives to understand why much of the nation cannot and will not accept the designation "collaborator" to describe Polish people who aided the Nazis and benefited from the genocide of Jews.

ISRAEL/POLAND • 2017

75 Minutes

Hebrew & Polish w/English subtitles

Documentary

David Blumenfield & Amy Drozd

SHINE is the true story of Australian pianist David Helfgott, an international prodigy who, after suffering a breakdown resulting in his institutionalization, gradually pieced himself back together and performed to critical acclaim.

As a child piano prodigy, David Helfgott's musical ambitions generated friction with his overbearing father, Peter, who abused him and his siblings with the memory of his childhood in Europe and the loss of his family in the concentration camps. When Helfgott traveled to London on a musical scholarship, his career as a pianist blossomed.  The pressures of his newfound fame, however, coupled with the echoes of his tumultuous childhood, conspired to bring Helfgott's latent schizophrenia boiling to the surface. He spent years in and out of various mental institutions. Many years later, through several twists of fate, he started playing a piano in a bar before finally returning to the concert hall. SHINE is a true story of the mystery of music and the miracle of love. Geoffrey Rush and Armin Mueller-Stahl star in this film.

AUSTRALIA • 1996

105 MINUTES

ENGLISH

DRAMA

SCOTT HICKS

SHOELACES tells the story of a complicated relationship between an aging father and his special-needs son, whom he abandoned while the boy was still very young. 

Reuben's kidneys are failing and his son, Gadi, wants to donate one of his own kidneys to help save his father's life. However, the transplant committee objects to the procedure claiming that Rueben, acting as Gadi's sole legal guardian, does not have the right to authorize such an invasive procedure. Gadi, who recently lost his mother, is afraid of losing his father as well. He feels that he finally has the chance to do something meaningful, to become a man, and to stand on his own. He's furious with the committee's decision and sets out to fight for his right to save his father's life. Through the film’s portrayal of a relationship full of love, rejection and co-dependency, SHOELACES manages to shed some light and question the importance of human life, human connection and whether or not life is even possible without either one of them.

Israel • 2018

98 MINUTES

HEBREW W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA

Jacob Goldwasser

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the President and Dean of Valley Beit Midrash. He holds Masters Degrees from both Harvard and Yeshiva University, as well as a doctorate from Columbia.  He has also received three rabbinic ordinations.   As a global social justice activist and educator, Rabbi Yanklowitz has taken part in missions on five continents.  Also a noted author, he was named one of the top 50 rabbis in America by Newsweek.   www.valleybeitmidrash.org

Shea 14

A THOUSAND KISSES — Separated by the fear of persecution in the Nazi Germany of 1933, a young Jewish couple in Berlin makes loose plans to reunite on the safe tropical shores of Brazil.

Showing at PEORIA PARK WEST 14

In the quirky French comedy-drama SIMON & THÉODORE, an emotionally-troubled man about to become a father wonders how can he take care of his baby when he can barely take care of himself? His chance encounter with a rebellious teen forces him to question his uncertainties. 

Simon, an unusual young man fresh out of a psych ward for his self-harming ways, is about to become a father with Rivka, his wife who works as a rabbi. While at her synagogue, he encounters Théodore, an endearing and cantankerous teen studying for his Bar Mitzvah while being raised by a single mom and ignored by his absentee father.  

The two rebels set out on a crazy quest toward accepting themselves. As the unlikely duo travels through Paris getting angry, getting scared and getting close, they lean on each other in an  attempt to help one another fill in their own blanks before it is too late. The chemistry between the two leads in SIMON & THÉODORE is convincing as it illustrates the true power of human connections.

France • 2017

84 MINUTES

FRENCH W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA

Mikael Buch

Unwittingly united in grief by a closeted affair, a gay German baker and weary Israeli widow seek mutual catharsis in THE CAKEMAKER, a compassionate meditation on the human urge for connection.

The emotionally distant Tomas leads a lonely life as a Berlin coffee shop pastry chef, until starting a passionate tryst with Oren, a married Israeli businessman. When his lover is killed in an accident, Tomas seeks solace in Oren's hometown of Jerusalem, taking a job at a struggling café run by his dead lover’s unsuspecting wife, Anat. As business flourishes with Tomas' kitchen talents, the bereaved pair forge a bond that blurs lines of nationality, religion and sexuality. Through Anat, Tomas glimpses a life he never could have imagined for himself, a life filled with companionship, love, and family. As the grieving pair continues to grow closer, the lines dividing longing and loneliness and of right and wrong, begin to soften. Complex, torrid, and expertly acted, THE CAKEMAKER is a suspenseful and emotionally charged roller coaster ride from start to finish.

Israel • 2017

105 MINUTES

GERMAN & HEBREW W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA

OFIR RAUL GRAZIER

THE SEDER — Leo is Jewish and gay. He finally brings his boyfriend to meet the family, at THE SEDER dinner!

Showing at all three venues.

THE ESSENTIAL LINK: THE STORY OF WILFRID ISRAEL unravels the mystery of the oft-forgotten wealthy German Jew who, through a combination of wily negotiations with the Nazis, large sums of his own money, and a long series of selfless acts, saved thousands of Jews in the 1930s and 1940s. 

Although Kibbutz HaZore'a is home to a large and valuable art collection that belonged to Wilfred Israel, no one was willing to talk about him. Intrigued by the mystery, filmmaker Yonatan Nir delved into Wilfred's background, and discovered a prominent German Jew who was heir to one of Berlin's largest department stores. Israel initiated the Kindertransport operation and used his influence to save thousands of Jewish lives. As the plight of the Jewish people in Germany continued to worsen in the times preceding and during WWII, Wilfrid used his wealth and connections to arrange the emigration of more than 10,000 Jews from Nazi-occupied Berlin and helped to create a children's settlement in Palestine. His friends included Albert Einstein, Martin Buber, Chaim Weizmann, and Christopher Isherwood, who based one of his characters in Goodbye to Berlin on Wilfrid.

ISRAEL • 2017

84 MINUTES

HEBREW & GERMAN W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DOCUMENTARY

YONATAN NIR

In THE INTERPRETER, 80 year old Slovakian translator, Ali Ungár, comes across a book written by a former SS officer which recounts the officer's war experiences. Ali realizes that one of the chapters quite possibly describes his own parents' executions, and, arming himself, travels to Vienna to look for the SS man and exact revenge. Once there, Ali encounter the officer's 70-year-old son, Georg, a former teacher, who has spent his entire life avoiding his father. The translator's visit arouses Georg’s curiosity and he decides to invite Ali on a trip through Slovakia. While Georg is basically interested in having a good time, Ali hopes to learn the truth about the deaths of his parents. Gradually, these two very different men begin to warm to each other and, together, they discover a country of citizens who would prefer to forget the past.

Combining comedy and tragedy, director Martin Šulík's road movie focuses on two older men weighed down by the unresolved conflicts which still plague their lives.  Together  they now try  to free themselves of this oppressive burden. THE INTERPRETER's odd-couple's odyssey visits uncomfortable places in the Holocaust and history with melancholic wit and finely modulated performances.

SLOVAK REPUBLIC / CZECH REPUBLIC / AUSTRIA • 2018

114 MINUTES

GERMAN & SLOVAK W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA/COMEDY

MARTIN SULIK

An aging Jewish tailor leaves his life in Argentina to embark on a journey back through time and halfway around the world in the bittersweet road movie THE LAST SUIT. 

Eighty-eight-year-old Holocaust survivor Abraham Bursztein is about to be put out to pasture by his children, who have sold his house in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and booked him into a retirement home. Refusing to bow to family pressure, he sets off on an adventure from which he doesn’t expect to return. Fueled by a sense of duty, and a quest for closure and fulfillment, Abraham decides that the moment has come to fulfill a promise and seek out an old friend. With assistance from a cast of kindly strangers, the sharply-dressed suit maker travels by train across Europe from Spain to Poland, in search of the man who saved him from certain death at Auschwitz. Undeterred by a series of travel mishaps, family foibles, and geographical obstacles along the way, the hard edges of the cantankerous Abraham gradually soften. Heartfelt and charming, THE LAST SUIT exudes a poignant message of the enduring importance of family, friends and honor.

ARGENTINA • 2017

86 MINUTES

SPANISH W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA

PABLO SOLARZ

Rabbi Nate Crane is the Associate Rabbi of Congregation Or Tzion in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the founder of the nonprofit Hagigah which provides accessible and fun Jewish holiday celebrations for local families with special needs.Rabbi Crane is the author of the teshuvah (Jewish legal ruling) “Adoption," approved by the Conservative movement's central authority on Jewish law and practices, in 2018 which explores the halakhic status of people who have been adopted,  and offers a Jewish ritual and accompanying documents to celebrate and mark adoption.

He is the recipient of the NewCAJE Young Professional Fellowship, The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago’s Best Practices in Jewish Education Grant, the only rabbi thus far to receive the PJ Library Grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, participated in the inaugural cohort of the AIPAC-Lefell Fellowship, and serves as a rabbinic advisor to the VOS JCC’s Early Childhood Center. He was most recently awarded the Valley Bet Midrash Start Me Up! Fellowship.

Shea 14

JANEK / BASTARD — JANEK / BASTARD explores the intricate relationship between a Christian and a Jew in 1942 Poland.

Showing at SHEA 14 and PEORIA PARK WEST 14

THE LIGHT OF HOPE is the harrowingly true story of Elisabeth Eidenbenz, awarded the status of Righteous Among the Nations by the Government of Israel in 2002 for her role as founder of the Mothers of Elne, an organization which saved the lives of hundreds of Jewish mothers and children along with other refugees during World War II. 

In the early 1940s, refugees from all over Europe sought shelter as they attempted to escape persecution by the Nazis in Germany and by the Franco regime in Spain. Among them were countless Jewish women and their young children. The refugee camps were in horrendous condition without adequate protections, leaving many women and children to die from malnutrition and disease. Appalled by the situation, Elisabeth converted an abandoned mansion in Elne into a maternity home and provides  safety and shelter for the refugees. Despite the surrounding hardship, the villa became a safe haven filled with the laughter of children. Soon, however, Gestapo agents grew suspicious and demanded that she hand over all Jewish refugees and their children for imprisonment. Elisabeth, the mothers, and their supporters remained committed to prevent further distress, disease, and disaster.

SPAIN • 2017

96 MINUTES

SPANISH W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA

SILVIA QUER

A THOUSAND KISSES — Separated by the fear of persecution in the Nazi Germany of 1933, a young Jewish couple in Berlin makes loose plans to reunite on the safe tropical shores of Brazil.

A secret band of journalists, scholars and community leaders fight and resist after being sealed inside the Warsaw Ghetto in WHO WILL WRITE OUR HISTORY.  

In November, 1940, merely days after the Nazis shut 450,000 Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto, Polish historian Emanuel Ringelblum leads a clandestine group vowing to defeat Nazi lies and propaganda, not with guns or fists, but with pen and paper. Known by the code name Oyneg Shabes, these scholarly resistors detailed life in the Ghetto from the Jewish perspective. They commissioned diaries, essays, jokes, poems and songs. They documented Nazi atrocities with eyewitness accounts and sent reports of mass murders to London via the Polish underground. Even as trains deported them to the gas chambers of Treblinka and the Ghetto burned to the ground, they buried 60,000 pages of documentation in the hopes that the archive would survive the war, even if they did not. 

With narration by Academy Award-winning actor, Adrien Brody, and Academy Award-nominated actress, Joan Allen, WHO WILL WRITE OUR HISTORY mixes the writings of the Oyneg Shabes archive with new interviews, rarely seen footage, and stunning dramatizations to transport the viewer inside the Ghetto and witness the lives of these important and courageous resistance fighters and of life inside the Ghetto.

USA • 2018

90 MINUTES

ENGLISH

DOCUMENTARY

ROBERTA GROSSMAN

VICKI CABOT is a writer and editor, whose byline has appeared for more than 30 years in Jewish News of Greater Phoenix and a variety of other publications. She holds a masters in mass communication and a doctorate in religious studies from Arizona State University. An adjunct professor in religion, she has taught World Religion for nearly a decade at Glendale Community College and is currently teaching at ASU’s Osher Life Long Learning Institute. She also blogs at Times of Israel.

Shea 14

A NIGHT AT THE GARDEN — Six months before the start of World War II, Madison Square Garden plays host to 20,000 American Nazis.

This film has been nominated for a 2019 Academy Award in the Documentary Short Subject Category!

Showing at all three venues.

From Moses to Maimonides, to Mahler, Marx, Freud, Einstein and 197 Nobel Prize laureates, the stunning social, scientific and artistic accomplishments of the Jews raise an obvious question: WHY THE JEWS? 

How do Jews do it? The Jewish peoples' contribution to humanity has been enormous, unique, and exceedingly difficult to explain. The documentary begins with some impressive statistics: 22% of Nobel Prize winners, 33% of Oscar-winning directors,  and 40% of the world’s undisputed chess champions have been Jewish. 

The thing that makes these numbers even more intriguing is their disproportion in relation to their population: Jews represent but .2%, or 14 million, of the people on this planet. The story of huge overrepresentation at the top is the same wherever you look. Some of the world’s most prominent thinkers tackle a mystery of Jews' stunning accomplishments that is shrouded in ignorance and prejudice. They tear back the curtain on a taboo and draw a startling link between a people's achievements and the darkest hours in its history. 

WHY THE JEWS? is an illuminating and fascinating look at what may propel so many Jewish people to achieve on so many fronts and examines consequences, both positive and negative.

CANADA • 2018

70 MINUTES

ENGLISH

DOCUMENTARY

JOHN CURTIN

On a mission of vigilante justice, a young woman goes to extremes to seek reprisal against a suspected ex-Nazi, in the psychological thriller WINTER HUNT.  

Driving on a deserted highway through the German countryside, Lena arrives at the Rossberg's remote estate as nightfall descends. Feigning a car accident, she begs for help from the deeply apprehensive Maria, who reluctantly agrees to invite her into the home. But Lena's plea is a ruse to confront the aged patriarch Anselm Rossberg, a former Auschwitz guard accused of war crimes. Lena's efforts to extract a confession at gunpoint result in a twisted cat-and-mouse game, as the three characters enter a standoff fraught with moral complexities and shocking revelations. Powerhouse performances and a taut script fuel WINTER HUNT, an edge-of-the-seat chamber drama about wartime guilt and culpability across generations.

Germany • 2017

75 MINUTES

GERMAN W/ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA

Astrid Schult

Dr. Murray Henner is Professor of International Law and Intelligence at Embry Riddle University. He has authored over 50 books and 75 Law Journal articles over the past 35 years. He holds a Post Doctoral Degree in International Law and is a Fulbright Scholar. Last year, he was awarded the Brandeis International Legal Scholar award as one of the top three such academics globally. Each year, he takes to the Film Festival over 40 to 50 of his students as part of their graduate human rights program. He is a former judge from the 2^nd District and is a member of over ten state and six federal bars. His area of expertise is Holocaust Revisionism. He is fluent in German.

Shea 14

WORKING WOMAN chronicles a few months in the working life of a woman trapped in an abusive workspace who must chose between supporting her family and her self-esteem.

Orna, an ambitious career woman, takes a new job as a real estate marketing manager, selling luxurious apartments to overseas buyers. Determined to prove herself to Benny, her new boss, she is willing to sacrifice her family life and free time. But when Benny’s flirting turns into harassment, Orna struggles to restore her sense of dignity and self-worth. At the same time, Orna’s husband also is struggling to keep his new restaurant afloat, so Orna, the main breadwinner for their three children, poignantly navigates the tempestuous waters of her job and her sense of self-worth in WORKING WOMAN. 

93 MINUTES

HEBREW & FRENCH W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DRAMA

MICHAL AVIAD

LAMED - An unfathomable decision by an Auschwitz survivor leaves a huge burden on her conscience in this uplifting and extraordinary story of love and survival.

Israel  •  2019  •   12 minutes  •  Language: Hebrew w/ English subtitles   • Director:  Shahar Cohen