ARCHIVES 2018 JEWISH FILM SERIES
07/08/18 - “Keep The Change”
Praised by Variety as “an ode to self-discovery and acceptance that’s as funny as it is sweet,” this romantic comedy from director Rachael Israel is an honest portrayal of the autistic community that is rarely depicted on the big screen. The film’s protagonists, David and Sarah, meet in a support group at the Jewish Community Center in New York, and their story follows the classic romcom tradition of “opposites attract.” Keep the Change, writes the Bright Lights Film Journal, “is intensely personal and wholly universal.”
- Winner of awards for Best U.S. Narrative Feature and Best New Narrative Director at the Tribeca Film Festival.
07/15/18 - “Sammy Davis Jr., I've Gotta Be Me”
From Emmy Award-winning director Samuel D. Pollard, here’s the first major film documentary to examine Davis’ vast talent and his quest for identity through 20th century America’s shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress. The film features insightful interviews with such luminaries as Billy Crystal, Norman Lear, Jerry Lewis, Whoopi Goldberg and Kim Novak, never-before-seen photographs from Davis’ vast personal collection, and stunning archival performances. Ultimately, Pollard concludes that "he was a trailblazer: the first black American to sleep in the White House, the first to do impressions of white celebrities, the first to kiss a white co-star on a Broadway stage and the first to kiss Archie Bunker’s cheek on an episode of his favorite TV show, All in the Family."
- Named Best Documentary at the Denver Jewish Film Festival and the Pan African Film & Arts Festival.
07/22/18 - “The Oslo Diaries”
This documentary, which premiered at Sundance in January, chronicles the secret negotiations held in Oslo in 1992, when Israeli-Palestinian relations were at an all-time low. Interviews with survivors of those unsanctioned peace talks are woven together with dramatic re-enactments and excerpts from books and diaries written by the principals. Writes the Hollywood Reporter: “Skillful editing by the co-directors [Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan] keeps the film driving forward. The music by Francois Jolin adds both suspense and melancholy.” The Oslo Diaries offers a resonant portrait of diplomacy and the delicate nature of peace. In some cases, we see individuals who although sitting in fundamental opposition to their counterparts, were able to find common ground and regard their counterparts as friends.
- Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival
08/05/18 - “Foxtrot”
Hailed as “award-winning filmmaking on a fearless level” by Variety, praised as “a formally gorgeous piece of work” by Roger Ebert and recommended by The Atlantic as “a superior piece of cinema worth seeing”, Foxtrot grabs you from the first scene with its uniquely powerful story set around the Israeli Defense Forces. Enhanced by riveting performances, brilliant cinematography and a haunting sound track, this is a film to see, discuss and think about for weeks to come.
- Foxtrot won the Israeli Film Academy’s top awards in 2017 for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Music and Best Sound.
08/12/18 - “RBG”
A surprise box office hit, RBG is an intimate and moving documentary of the life of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The film depicts her rise to the nation’s highest court, her role as a central player in the history of the women’s movement in America and how she has become an unexpected pop culture icon to many young women today. Writes The New York Times: “The movie’s touch is light and its spirit buoyant, but there’s no mistaking its seriousness or its passion.”
- Premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Audience Award Winner at the Sarasota & Wisconsin Film Festivals. Nominated for Best Documentary at the Miami & Cleveland Film Festivals.
08/19/18 - “The Cakemaker”
The Cakemaker is a sensitive and moving film about forbidden love, loss and the need for human connection. Thomas, a gay German baker, and Anat, a weary Israeli widow, grieve for the same man in writer-director Ofir Raul Graizer's humane and touching debut feature. The story travels between Berlin and Jerusalem, between past and present, exploring the place of tradition in secular society and our human definitions of nationality, sexuality and religion. The intoxicating shots of delicious looking desserts serve to highlight the excellent cinematography.
- Winner of Best Film & Best Editing at the Jerusalem Film Festival, The Critics Award at the Miami Film Festival, and Best Film at International Film Festivals in Spain, Germany & Norway.