PRESS BOOK
Contact: Harriet J. Dobin, Festival Director
860-231-6350, hdobin@mandelljcc.org
Trailers & Images: www.hjff.org
Mandell JCC - 335 Bloomfield Ave. West Hartford CT - 06117 - 860-236-4571 – www.mandelljcc.org
For Immediate Release
Contact: Harriet J. Dobin, 860-231-6350 (Office), 860-614-0937 (Cell)
hdobin@mandelljcc.org
Israeli Singer David Broza Opens 20th Mandell JCC Hartford Jewish Film Festival;
22 Films from 8 Countries Will Rock ‘N Reel March 31-April 10, 2016
(West Hartford, CT, December 23, 2015) Legendary Israeli singer-songwriter David Broza will
Rock ‘N Reel the 20th Mandell JCC Hartford Jewish Film Fest on Opening Night, Thursday March 31, 2016 with
a live appearance at the premiere of his new film EAST JERUSALEM, WEST JERUSALEM, announced
Nicole Greenblatt, 2016 Festival Chair. The ten day, seven-venue festival, celebrating its 20th season, runs
through Sunday, April 10, 2016. 22 international first-run films will be screened, featuring Tony-winning actor
Jonathan Pryce, Nobel Prize Laureates Isaac Bashevis Singer and Yitzhak Rabin, Massachusetts painters Jill
Hoy and Jon Imber, Israel’s Wonder Woman Gal Gadot, New York actress Sas Goldberg and Philadelphia’s
Zahav chef Michael Solomonov. There are five New England, nine Connecticut and three Hartford premiere
films.
Serving up titles from France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom
and the United States the festival line-up includes foodie flicks, fun-filled comedies, heart-tugging dramas, films
about famous Jews in music, politics, books and art plus opportunities to meet, eat, think and drink with 15
invited filmmakers, actors, musicians, authors, playwrights, artists, scholars and a celebrity chef. More than
5,000 attendees of all ages and faiths are expected at the ten-day event, Connecticut’s largest film festival and
Jewish cultural event.
Culture, Conflict and Cuisine
Creating music in a conflict zone sets the tone for two Israeli rockumentaries. David Broza’s
EAST JERUSALEM, WEST JERUSALEM takes audiences inside the platinum recording star’s studios in his
effort to bridge the Israeli-Palestinian divide with music. Broza will attend, speak and sing after the March 31st
Opening Night screening. ROCK IN THE RED ZONE underscores the tensions of living and creating rock music
in missile-battered Sderot , another hotbed one mile from the Israel-Gaza border. A once-sultry cabaret singer
and a handsome young loner find hope and reasons to continue living in the music-filled drama TO LIFE.
2.
A world of cultural flavors is on the menu with DOUGH, a British dramedy about a young Muslim
apprentice to a Jewish baker who accidentally spikes his boss’ bread and pastry batter with marijuana. Providing
more food for thought and the hungry, celebrity chef and author Michael Solomonov, owner of Philadelphia’s
ZAHAV restaurant, will dialogue and dish at the screening of IN SEARCH OF ISRAELI CUISINE, his culinary
portrait of Israel through food. A ZAHAV-inspired dinner precedes the film.
Triumph and Tragedy
History comes alive on screen with RABIN IN HIS OWN WORDS, a new biopic about the murdered
Israeli diplomat told through his writings, interviews and photos. In France’s ONCE IN A LIFETIME, tough
students in a multi-cultural classroom defeat the odds, learn about the Holocaust and discover new strengths.
Seventy years after landing at a port in Sweden, former prisoners and Nazi death camp survivors watch
themselves for the first time as filmed on the day of their arrival in EVERY FACE HAS A NAME. A Hungarian
Jew with a modern day identity crisis decades after World War II confronts his past in Closing Night’s
THE LAST MENTSCH. A work-in-progress preview about Trinity College Professor Sam Kassow’s upcoming
Warsaw Ghetto documentary WHO WILL WRITE OUR HISTORY will screen after this film. Professor Kassow
will be interviewed by University of Hartford scholar Dr. Avinoam Patt.
Fun and Families
Family intrigue, step-love and sibling secrets are revealed in several films. LOOK AT US NOW,
MOTHER! is a bitingly humorous mother-daughter healing story. In THE KIND WORDS, two brothers and a
sister search for their real father. 10% MY CHILD, is a charmer about a filmmaker, his girlfriend’s adorable
daughter and the real meaning of family ties. The gut-busting Big Apple comedy ARE YOU JOKING?,; SERIAL
(BAD) WEDDING’S French bride and groom farce; and KICKING OUT SHOSHANA, the Israeli soccer spoof
starring Israel’s new Wonder Woman Gal Gadot, rank five kernels on the popcorn laugh-meter.
Pallet and Pen
Painters and authors meet on screen with two new documentaries. THE MUSES OF ISAAC
BASHEVIS SINGER portrays the Nobel Prize-winning Yiddish Don Juan as seen through the eyes of his harem
of women translators. Professor Joshua Lambert and Yentl playwright Leah Napolin will speak. IMBER’S LEFT
HAND draws an inspiring portrait about Massachusetts artist Jon Imber’s final creative months following a
devastating ALS diagnosis. The Mandell JCC’s Chase Family Gallery will host “Side By Side”, an exhibit of the
paintings of Jon Imber and his widow, artist Jill Hoy March 27 – April 16, 2016. Ms. Hoy, film director Richard
Kane and Ron Hoffman, of Compassionate Care ALS will attend and speak at the screening. Five short
subjects, 70 HESTER STREET, BULMUS (CAUGHT IN THE NET), REMEMBER, SOME VACATION and THE
TEN PLAGUES will be paired with select titles during the festival.
3.
Venues and Tickets
The 20th Mandell JCC Hartford Jewish Film Festival is funded by the Jewish Federation of
Greater Hartford, the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford, Mandell JCC Pillars Society donors
and more than 100 corporate, family, organization and individual sponsors as well as venue, hospitality and
media partners. Venues include Bow Tie Cinemas Blue Back Square, Beth El Temple, Mandell JCC and The
Emanuel Synagogue (West Hartford) and Bow Tie Cinemas Palace 17, The Mark Twain House and Spotlight
Theatres (Hartford).
Ticket prices range from $12 in advance ($15 at door) for most films to $75 for the March 31, 2016
EAST JERUSALEM, WEST JERUSALEM Opening Night film, David Broza LIVE! music event and reception.
Tickets for IN SEARCH OF ISRAELI CUISINE (Monday, April 4, 2016) are $25 per person, and include a
ZAHAV A La Carte buffet dinner. Tickets for THE LAST MENTSCH on Closing Night (Sunday, April 10, 2016)
are $25 per person including film, Reel Talk and dessert reception. Group discounts for most films are
available.
Tickets will be on sale in January 2016 in person, via phone and by mail at the Mandell JCC.
Seating is limited, advance purchase is recommended to avoid sellouts. Tickets will be sold at the door subject
to availability; all seating is general admission and program is subject to change. All events are under Hartford
Kashrut Commission supervision.
For tickets, schedules, trailers, directions, and a Festival brochure visit the festival website,
www.hjff.org or contact the Box Office, Mandell JCC, Zachs Campus, 335 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford, CT.
06117, tickets@mandelljcc.org, 860-231-6316. For more information contact Harriet J. Dobin, Festival Director,
860-231-6350, hdobin@mandelljcc.org
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4.
MANDELL JCC HARTFORD JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL - SNEAK PREVIEWS
Thursday, March 31, 2016, 7:00 PM
Beth El Temple, 2626 Albany Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117
Encore Screening: Sunday April 10, 2016, 4:30 PM, Bow Tie Cinemas, Palace 17,
330 New Park Ave. Hartford CT 06106
Connecticut Premiere
EAST JERUSALEM, WEST JERUSALEM
Israel, 2014, English, Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles, 80 minutes
Directors: Henrique Cymerman and Erez Miller
David Broza LIVE! In Conversation and Song/Reception Following Screening
David Broza, Israeli singer-songwriter and international peace ambassador, journeys to East
Jerusalem accompanied by award-winning American, Palestinian and Israeli musicians, to record his
latest album in a marathon eight-day session in the studio of Sabreen, the Palestinian band. Broza
recruits fellow artists Steve Earle, Wyclef Jean, Mira Awad, Muhammad Mughrabi, Issa Freij and
others to realize his dream of building bridges between people in conflict through music and art. This
soul-stirring rockumentary captures Broza’s charisma, brilliant talent and energy in the recording
studio, on location in Jerusalem, and behind-the-scenes in the kitchen where Israeli and Palestinian
chefs prepare daily banquets for the crew. Broza, considered Israel’s “Bruce Springsteen” will attend
the Opening Night event, answer audience questions, sing selections from his latest album and greet
fans after his acoustic set.
5.
Saturday, April 2, 2016, 8:00 PM Reception, 9:00 PM Film
Herbert Gilman Theater, Mandell JCC, 335 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford CT 06117
Encore Screening: Wednesday, April 6, 2016 7:00 PM Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back Square, WH, 06117
Connecticut Premiere
KICKING OUT SHOSHANA
Israel, 2014, Hebrew with English subtitles, 98 minutes; Director: Shay Kanot
When Ami Shoshan, a chest-thumping, charming Jerusalem soccer star is caught flirting with a
mobster’s gorgeous girlfriend, (future Wonder Woman Gal Gadot), his punishment is swift. Either lose
part of his male anatomy or fake-announce publicly to being gay. Ami is booted off the team but finds
new allies in the gay pride movement. In this crowd-pleasing politically incorrect Israeli farce, everyone
is a target, from sports fans and feminists, to plastic surgeons and paparazzi; from Hasids and
homophobes to drag queens and divas. By bringing together soccer and gay politics, this funny film
scores points for rethinking old prejudices and learning new tolerance.
Screens with
The Ten Plagues, USA, 2014, English, 10 minutes, Director: Serena Shulman
En route to a Passover Seder with her family, a young woman encounters a 21st century ten plagues of
biblical proportions.
Sunday, April 3, 2016, 1:00 PM
Spotlight Theatres, 39 Front Street, Hartford, CT 06103
Encore Screening: Sunday, April 10, 2016, 2:15 PM, Bow Tie Cinemas, Palace 17,
330 New Park Ave., Hartford, CT 06106
Connecticut Premiere
LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER!
USA, 2015, English, 84 minutes; Director: Gayle Kirschenbaum
This mother of all films proves it’s never too late to say “I’m sorry” or “I forgive you”. Filmmaker Gayle
Kirschenbaum (My Nose) turns the camera on herself and her overbearing, hypercritical mom Mildred,
exploring their troubled past to fix their future. Told with biting humor and raw honesty, this is a fearless
story about family secrets, forgiveness, empathy and healing. After years of being scolded to find a
husband, get a nose job and straighten her hair, Gayle moves past the hurt and into the heart of their
rocky relationship. They repair it with love and laughter, turning foes into friends.
6
Reel Talk Immediately Following Film with Gayle Kirschenbaum, Director, Mildred Kirschenbaum, The
Director’s Mother and Nancy Lichtenberg, LCSW, Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford,
moderated by Paul Lewis, Program Officer, PJ Library.
Sunday, April 3, 2016, 4:00 PM
Spotlight Theatres, 39 Front Street, Hartford, CT 06103
Encore Screening: Thursday, April 7, 2016, 6:00 PM Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back Square, WH 06117
New England Premiere
10% MY CHILD
Israel, 2014, Hebrew with English subtitles, 85 Minutes; Director: Udi Bar-On
To be with Franny’s mom, Nico has to win Franny’s heart. Set in bustling Tel Aviv, this tender, sweet
story about friendship, love and modern families focuses on a single 26 year-old aspiring filmmaker
and the spunky 7 year old daughter of his elusive girlfriend, Noa. With Franny’s jealous dad Amnon still
in the picture, and the nonstop distractions of everyday life, Nico finds his way into Franny’s innocent
world with grownup honesty, child-like fun and mutual trust. Franny and Nico follow their hearts to build
a new relationship, complete with inside jokes, secret handshakes and shared dreams.
Screens with
BULMUS (CAUGHT IN THE NET)
Israel, 2015, Hebrew with English subtitles, 8 minutes; Directors: Ariel Weisbrod and Yossi Meiri
A small comedy based on a short story by Israeli satirist Ephraim Kishon.
Sunday, April 3, 2016, 4:00 PM
Spotlight Theatres, 39 Front Street, Hartford, CT 06103
New England Premiere
EVERY FACE HAS A NAME
Sweden, 2015, English, Swedish, Polish and Hebrew with English subtitles, 76 minutes
Director: Magnus Gertten
On April 28, 1945, hundreds of just-liberated concentration camp survivors arriving to the harbor in
Malmö, Sweden were filmed by Swedish journalists as they take their first steps in freedom. Now, 70
years later these men and women are tracked down by the director and research team to watch the
archive footage for the very first time, reliving those momentous days. In stark contrast to today’s
global refugee crisis, this revealing documentary blends emotional stories from Jewish survivors,
7
Norwegian prisoners of war, Polish mothers and children, French resistance fighters, British spies and
shockingly, an American Catholic teenage girl visiting Italy and deported to Auschwitz.
Screens with
Remember: Facing The Holocaust - Greater Hartford Stories of Survival
2015, USA, English, 6 minutes; Director: Steve Shaw
A video introduction to the exhibit at the University of Hartford’s Museum of Jewish Civilization.
Sunday, April 3, 2016, 7:30 PM
Spotlight Theatres, 39 Front Street, Hartford, CT 06103
New England Premiere
TO LIFE!
Germany, 2014, German with English subtitles, 95 minutes; Director: Uwe Janson
Time and strokes of fate have taken their toll on the once-sultry cabaret singer Ruth (Hannelore Elsner)
and the handsome but gravely ill Jonas (Max Riemelt), a young man on the run in Berlin. Opposites in
age and life experiences, Jonas learns to tackle his fears as Ruth reveals secrets of her tragic past.
The pair forge an intertwined bond of friendship, giving each other a reason to live. Graced by
flashbacks of the young Ruth’s nightclub career discovered in a treasure trove of old films (“Bei Mir
Bistu Shein”, “Roumania”, “Tumbalalaika”) To Life! is an uplifting ode to the resilience of the human
spirit and finding your way back.
Sunday, April 3, 2016, 7:30 PM
Spotlight Theatres, 39 Front Street, Hartford, CT 06103
Encore Screening: Sunday, April 10, 2016, 4:30 PM, Bow Tie Cinemas, Palace 17,
330 New Park Ave., Hartford, CT 06106
Hartford Premiere
DOUGH
Hungary/United Kingdom, 2014, English, 94 minutes; Director: John Goldschmidt
It's not just the bread that's getting baked in this endearing cross-cultural dramedy about an old-school
Jewish baker struggling to keep his dying business afloat in London. Sparks and bread sales fly when
Ayyash, Nat’s new young Muslim apprentice, accidentally drops his stash of cannabis in the challah
dough. The stellar cast starring in this batch made in heaven includes his greedy competitor, the nasty
neighborhood drug lord, a love-seeking widowed landlady and Nat’s apathetic family. The unlikely
friendship that forms between the curmudgeonly old-timer and the teenage refugee from Darfur creates
a warmhearted, humorous story about overcoming prejudices and finding value in the things that
matter most.
8.
Monday, April 4, 2016
5:30 PM Zahav A La Carte (Dinner) 7:00 PM Film
Mandell JCC, 335 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford CT, 06117
New England Premiere
IN SEARCH OF ISRAELI CUISINE
Israel/USA, 2015, English and Hebrew with English subtitles, 97 minutes; Director: Roger Sherman
James Beard-award winning chef, Philadelphia Zahav restaurateur and cookbook author Michael
Solomonov’s latest culinary masterpiece is a mouth-watering cinematic portrait of Israel told through its
rich array of food. The film follows the Israeli - born and Pittsburgh-bred Solomonov to all corners of
Israel, profiling top chefs, home cooks, farmers, vintners, bakers, brewers, chocolatiers, street foodies,
and cheese artisans drawn from the more than 100 cultures that make up Israel today – Jewish, Arab,
Muslim, Christian and Druze. Shot on locations from open-air markets to restaurant kitchens and home
dining rooms; on farms, olive groves, vineyards and kibbutz fields, a rich, complex and human story
emerges. Prior to the screening, attendees will feast at a 5:30 PM ZAHAV - A LA CARTE grand
tasting featuring dishes from Solomonov’s best-selling cookbook ZAHAV – THE WORLD OF ISRAELI
CUISINE. Director Roger Sherman and Chef Michael Solomonov will attend the events and a
cookbook signing will follow the screening.
Cookbooks are on sale at the Mandell JCC Member Services Center with a portion of the proceeds will
benefit the Anja Rosenberg Kosher Food Pantry at Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford.
9.
Monday, April 4, 2016 7:00 PM
The Mark Twain House, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105
Connecticut Premiere
ARE YOU JOKING?
USA, 2014, English, 91 minutes; Director: Jake Wilson
Would-be standup comic Barb Schwartz is Jewish, single, smart and fed up with her dead-end
paralegal job and her hyper-critical, dysfunctional Long Island family. Her life sorta sucks; she just can’t
catch a break. When her law firm lands a scandalous sex-tape case involving her childhood BFF, Billy
the gay ballet dancer, her life starts to turn around. With his encourangement, Barb reclaims her
passion for comedy by taking an improv class. Barb and Billy discover it’s never too late to become
the person you were always afraid to be. This offbeat and subversive Big Apple comedy is full of gutbusting laughs, office humor and emotional outbursts. Actress/Comic Sas Goldberg will attend and be
interviewed by SeaTea Improv Founder and Executive Director Julia Pistell. Refreshments will be
served.
Screens With
THE TEN PLAGUES
USA, 2014, English, 10 minutes; Director: Serena Shulman
En route to a Passover Seder with her family, a young woman encounters a modern day Ten Plagues
of biblical proportions.
10.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016 1:00 PM
The Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Drive, West Hartford, CT 06117
Connecticut Premiere
Senior Screen
THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER
Israel, 2014, English and Hebrew with English subtitles, 72 minutes;
Directors: Shaul Betser and Asaf Galay
Isaac Bashevis Singer, the 1978 Nobel Prize-winning author of Yentl The Yeshiva Boy and Gimpel The
Fool mixed romance and brilliance to enchant audiences and charm his ‘harem’ of more than forty
women translators who were vital to his international success. This intimate portrayal of the “Yiddish
Don Juan” is an unflinching look at one of the world’s most celebrated and eccentric literary figures
through the eyes of the women who knew him best. Candid and poignant interviews with nine of his
translators, blended with exclusive archival footage, reveal a titillating side of this unlikely ladies man
and cultural treasure who died in 1991. Professor Joshua Lambert of the National Yiddish Book
Center, Amherst Mass, will interview Leah Napolin, playwright of the hit Broadway show, Yentl
following the screening. Refreshments will be served.
Screens With
70 Hester Street
USA, 2014, English, 10 minutes; Director: Casimir Nozkowski
A short film about an old building.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016 7:00 PM
The Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Drive, West Hartford, CT 06117
Connecticut Premiere
IMBER’S LEFT HAND
USA, 2014, English, 62 minutes; Director: Richard Kane
This inspiring portrait of love, loss and the power of creativity chronicles the final months of renowned
Massachusetts artist Jon Imber, who continued to paint after being diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s
Disease). His courageous and darkly humorous response to the fatal degenerative disease led him to
create 100 portraits in four months. The film sensitively observes Jon as the disease claims his body.
Thanks in large part to the loving support of his wife, artist Jill Hoy, Imber learns to paint with his left
hand, and eventually with both hands. The way in which Imber responds to his fate is at the heart of
11.
this intimate and passionate documentary. Following the screening, filmmaker Richard Kane, artist Jill
Hoy, Ron Hoffman, Director of Compassionate Care ALS will be interviewed by Deborah Gaudet,
Director of Film Programs, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.
“Side By Side” an exhibit of the paintings of Jill Hoy and Jon Imber will be ongoing in the Chase Family
Gallery at the Mandell JCC from March 27 through April 16, 2016. On Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at
12:15 PM, Mr. Kane, Ms. Hoy and Mr. Hoffman will speak on The Making of Imber’s Left Hand at a
Senior Brunch & Learn, The exhibit is free and open to the community during regular Mandell JCC
hours. Reservations for seniors (70+) are required for the Brunch by contacting Sharon Holtzberg,
860-231-6311, sholtzberg@mandelljcc.org.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016 7:00 PM
Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back Square, West Hartford, CT 06117
Encore Screening: Sunday, April 10, 2016, 2:15 PM
Bow Tie Cinemas, Palace 17, 330 Park Ave., Hartford, CT 06106
Connecticut Premiere
SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS
France, 2014, French with English subtitles, 97 minutes; Director: Phillippe de Chauveron
This unabashedly, politically incorrect romantic comedy about a bourgeois Catholic family upended by
the multicultural marriages of their four stunning daughters pokes fun at the melting pot of modern-day
France, where it was a box office sensation. Claude and Marie are church-going and conservative, yet
consider themselves open-minded. That’s tested when three of their daughters successively marry an
Arab, a Jew and an Asian. Their last hope for a traditional marriage is dashed when their fourth
daughter brings home Charles, a Catholic from the Ivory Coast. When the new in-laws arrive, bigotry
suddenly becomes a two-way street. This raucous Meet-The-Fockers style romp down the aisle spares
no one in the pursuit of love and laughs with a French twist.
Screens with
SOME VACATION
USA, 2014, 6 minutes; Director: Anne S. Lewis
An ecumenical holiday road trip.
Encore screening KICKING OUT SHOSHANA/THE TEN PLAGUES 7:00 PM
Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back Square, West Hartford.
See prior listing for film description.
12.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016 7:00 PM
Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back Square, West Hartford, CT 06117
New England Premiere
THE KIND WORDS
Israel, 2015, Hebrew and French with English subtitles, 118 minutes; Director: Shemi Zarhan
Three adult siblings discover family intrigue about their late mother’s secret love life and set off on a
journey from Israel to France to Algiers of the 1960’s in search of the mystery man who sired them.
Shattered by the revelations and left to pick up the pieces as they struggle with their own personal
issues, the two brothers and one sister grapple with redefining themselves as spouses, lovers, siblings
and children. Nominated for 12 Israeli Ophir awards, this serio-comic film is a bittersweet crowdpleaser that walks an emotional tightrope between honesty and deception.
Thursday, April 7, 2016, 8:15 PM
Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back Square, West Hartford, CT 06117
Encore screening of 10% MY CHILD/BULMUS CAUGHT IN THE NET 6:00 PM Thursday, April 7, 2016
Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back Square. See prior listing for film description.
Hartford Premiere
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
France, 2014, French with English subtitles, 105 minutes; Director: Marie-Castille Mention Schaar
A determined, plucky high school teacher taps into stories of the Holocaust to motivate and challenge
her troubled inner city students in this inspiring French schoolhouse drama. Based on a true story,
rowdy students in Mrs. Gueguen’s multi-cultural classroom gradually band together to enter a national
student competition on the theme of children living under the Nazis. Despite their long-shot odds and
after a face-to-face meeting with a Holocaust survivor, the once-unruly teens begin to see themselves
and the world through a more hopeful lens. A Cannes Film Festival hit, this powerful drama offers
insight on the enduring impact of the Holocaust in educating future generations.
13.
Saturday, April 9, 2016 8:00 PM Reception, 9:00 PM Film
Mandell JCC, 335 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford CT, 06117
Connecticut Premiere
ROCK IN THE RED ZONE
Israel, 2014, English and Hebrew with English subtitles, 87 minutes; Director: Laura Bialis
On the edge of Israel’s Negev Desert on the Gaza border lies Sderot, a missile - battered city of factory
workers and children of immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East. Despite living in the “bomb
shelter capital of the world”, Sderot’s people persevere under fire through music. In underground clubs,
young artists transform Israel’s ethnic pop-rock music scene, creating vibrant rhythms fusing East and
West. California filmmaker Laura Bialis encounters a creative community that captivates her, leads her
to love and changes her life. This raw and heartbreaking tale of rhythm, rockets and romance on the
frontlines is ultimately hopeful.
Sunday, April 10, 2016 10:00 AM Bagel Brunch & Reel Talk, 11:00 AM Film
Mandell JCC, 335 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford CT, 06117
Connecticut Premiere
RABIN IN HIS OWN WORDS
Israel, 2015, Hebrew with English subtitles, 113 minutes; Director: Erez Laufer
Twenty years after his assassination, the late Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli Prime Minister, soldier, diplomat
and Nobel Prize winner, tells his dramatic life story in his own words. His personal and professional
dramas unfold in rare archive footage, off-the-record interviews, home movies and private letters. This
fascinating portrait begins with his childhood in pre-state Israel to his early years as a farmer, then a
military leader who fought during critical moments in Israeli history. The film captures his brilliant
diplomatic career as Israel’s United States ambassador followed by his entry onto Israel’s political
arena and the world stage as peacemaker, which ultimately cost him his life in November 1995.
Matinee Encore Screenings Sunday, April 10, 2016 at Bow Tie Cinemas, Palace 17 Hartford
LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER! 2:15 PM,
SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS/SOME VACATION 2:15 PM,
DOUGH 4:30 PM
EAST JERUSALEM, WEST JERUSALEM 4:30 PM
See prior listings for film descriptions
14.
Sunday, April 10, 2016 7:30 PM
Mandell JCC, 335 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford CT, 06117
Hartford Premiere - CLOSING NIGHT
Tribute: Observations on Survival and Spirit - LESSONS FROM THE HOLOCAUST
THE LAST MENTSCH
Germany/Hungary, 2014, German with English subtitles, 90 minutes; Director: Pierre-Henry Salfati
Hardened but endearing Auschwitz survivor Marcus Schwartz (German Academy Award winner Mario
Adorf) made a postwar life and dealt with his trauma by creating a new identity in Germany. Facing
mortality, he now wants to be buried in a Jewish cemetery but needs proof of his long-denied heritage.
A brash young Turkish woman with her own identity crisis volunteers to drive across Europe to his
Hungarian village. The unlikely duo meets an array of characters and forges a touching new friendship
that changes them both. Part road trip, part buddy caper, this sweeping, powerful drama explores the
price of forgetting the past and the power in remembering it.
Immediately following the film, Trinity College Professor Dr. Samuel Kassow and University of Hartford
Professor Dr. Avi Patt will present a work-in-progress sneak preview of Who Will Write Our History.
The upcoming documentary, based on Kassow’s book, is by filmmakers Roberta Grossman and Nancy
Spielberg and is the untold story of the Warsaw Ghetto’s hidden archives.
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SCHEDULE OF FILMS AND EVENTS AS OF 12/15/15; Subject to Change
DATE/LOCATION
TIME
FILMS AND EVENTS
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Beth El Temple
OPENING NIGHT
7:00 PM Film
Followed by
David Broza LIVE!
EAST JERUSALEM, WEST
JERUSALEM
Film, David Broza LIVE! & Reception
In Conversation & Song
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Mandell JCC, West Hartford
8:00 PM Reception
9:00 PM Film
KICKING OUT SHOSHANA/
THE TEN PLAGUES
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Spotlight Theatres, Hartford
Spotlight Theatres, Hartford
1:00 PM
LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER!
Followed by Reel Talk
10% MY CHILD/
BULMUS - CAUGHT IN THE NET
Spotlight Theatres, Hartford
4:00 PM
Spotlight Theatres, Hartford
7:30 PM
EVERY FACE HAS A NAME/
REMEMBER
TO LIFE!
Spotlight Theatres, Hartford
7:30 PM
DOUGH
Monday, April 4, 2016
The Mark Twain House
7:00 PM
Mandell JCC
5:30 PM
ZAHAV A La Carte –
Dinner
7:00 PM Film
1:00 PM
ARE YOU JOKING?/
THE TEN PLAGUES
Followed by Reel Talk & Reception
IN SEARCH OF ISRAELI CUISINE
Followed by Meet the Chef &
Cookbook Signing
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
The Emanuel Synagogue,
West Hartford
The Emanuel Synagogue,
West Hartford
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back
Square, West Hartford
Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back
Square, West Hartford
4:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS
SINGER/70 HESTER STREET
Followed by Reel Talk
IMBER’S LEFT HAND
Followed by Reel Talk
KICKING OUT SHOSHANA/
THE TEN PLAGUES (Encore)
SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS/
SOME VACATION
Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back
Square, West Hartford
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back
Square, West Hartford
Bow Tie Cinemas, Blue Back
Square, West Hartford
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Mandell JCC, West Hartford
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Mandell JCC
Bow Tie Cinemas, Palace 17,
Hartford
Bow Tie Cinemas, Palace 17,
Hartford
Bow Tie Cinemas, Palace 17,
Hartford
Bow Tie Cinemas, Palace 17,
Hartford
Mandell JCC, West Hartford
CLOSING NIGHT
7:00 PM
THE KIND WORDS
6:00 PM
10% MY CHILD/
BULMUS -CAUGHT IN THE NET
(Encore)
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
8:15 PM
8:00 PM Reception
9:00 PM Film
10:00 AM
Bagel Brunch &
Reel Talk
11:00 AM Film
2:15 PM
2:15 PM
4:30 PM
4:30 PM
7:30 PM
ROCK IN THE RED ZONE
RABIN IN HIS OWN WORDS
LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER!
(Encore)
SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS/
SOME VACATION (Encore)
DOUGH (Encore)
EAST JERUSALEM,
WEST JERUSALEM (Encore)
Closing Night
THE LAST MENTSCH
Tribute: Observation on Survival and
Spirit – Lessons From The Holocaust
Reel Talk and Closing Reception
Invited Guest Artists and Speakers (In order of appearance; Subject to change; as of 12/15/15)
East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem – Opening Night - Thursday, March 31, 2016
David Broza
More than Israel’s foremost singer/songwriter, David Broza is a global humanitarian and peace activist. His charismatic and
energetic performances are a fusion of three countries in which he was raised: Israel, Spain, and England. He fills concert halls
and recording studios with his famous guitar playing, ranging from flamenco-flavored rhythmic and percussive techniques, to
whirlwind finger picking, to a signature rock 'n roll sound. Since the 1977 release of “Yihye Tov” Israel’s unofficial peace anthem,
Broza has released over 30 albums in Hebrew, English and Spanish, many of which have achieved gold and platinum status.
Look At Us Now, Mother - Sunday, April 3, 2016
Gayle Kirschenbaum
An Emmy award-winning filmmaker, television producer and speaker, Gayle is often called the “Nora Ephron of documentaries,”
with her trademark self-deprecating humor. Gayle’s production credits include several “little people” shows for TLC and Discovery
Health, her wacky A DOG'S LIFE: A DOGAMENTARY and JUDGMENT DAY: SHOULD THE GUILTY GO FREE.
Mildred Kirschenbaum
A resident of Boca Raton, Mildred is enjoying the limelight in the starring role as Gayle Kirschenbaum’s forgiven mom. When not
camped out in Central Park pitching potential film donors or playing mah-jongg, Mildred travels to exotic locales, dances at family
weddings and continues to be outrageous on the festival circuit.
Nancy Lichtenberg, LCSW
A graduate of UCONN School of Social Work, Nancy has over 20 years of counseling experience working with individuals, families,
groups, and couples. She has worked for 11 of those years at Jewish Family Services helping clients to create loving relationships
with themselves and others.
Paul Lewis, Moderator, Program Officer, PJ Library
Are You Joking? - Monday, April 4, 2016
Sas Goldberg
Sas Goldberg was last seen in Roundabout Theatre's new Joshua Harmon play, Significant Other. Other New York credits include:
David Adjmi's Stunning (Lincoln Center), The Best of Everything (HERE Arts Center) and The Urban Dictionary Plays (Ars Nova).
Other film and television credits include HAPPYish (Showtime), Hairbrained and Search Party.
Julia Pistell
Julia Pistell hosts the popular podcast Literary Disco and was the first-ever Director of Writing Programs at the Mark Twain House
& Museum. An award-winning writer, Julia has interviewed Joan Didion, Judy Blume, Christopher Moore and Anita Diamant,
among others. She is also a founding member of Sea Tea Improv.
In Search of Israeli Cuisine - Monday, April 4, 2016
Roger Sherman
A founder of Florentine Films, Roger Sherman is a producer, director, cinematographer, still photographer, and author. His films
about art, history, science, social issues, the environment and food have won an Emmy, a Peabody, a James Beard Award and
two Academy Award nominations.
Michael Solomonov
Celebrity chef-entrepreneur, author and film host Michael Solomonov co-owns Zahav restaurant in Philadelphia with his
CookNSolo business partner Steve Cook. They also own popular Philly eateries Federal Donuts, Percy Street Barbecue, Abe
Fisher and Dizengoff. Their gastronomic guide to Israel, Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, is part memoir and part cookbook
featuring recipes, photography and personal stories.
The Muses of Isaac Bashevis Singer - Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Professor Joshua Lambert
Josh Lambert is the Academic Director of the Yiddish Book Center and Visiting Assistant Professor of English at the University of
Massachusetts, Amherst. He is the author of Unclean Lips: Obscenity, Jews, and American Culture and American Jewish Fiction:
A JPS Guide. His work appears in Tablet magazine, Ha’Aretz, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and
the Forward.
Leah Napolin
Leah Napolin made her Broadway playwriting debut in 1975 with Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Yentl, which played for a full season. In
2003, Yentl returned in a Yiddish translation and in 2013 the play was revised and songs added by Jill Sobule. Ms. Napolin’s
playwriting credits also include Lost Island, Trash and Treasures, Joined , The Dogs of Pripyat, Split at the Root,A Novel in Three
Acts, War Baby, Conclamatio and Aristophanes’ Retreat.
Imber’s Left Hand - Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Ron Hoffman
Ron Hoffman founded Compassionate Care ALS, an organization offering individualized support to those currently living with ALS,
their families and caregivers. Ron was instrumental in helping Jon Imber and his family and is featured in the film
Imber's Left Hand. Ron’s expertise includes needs evaluation, instruction on ALS disease progression and end of life care.
Jill Hoy
Artist Jill Hoy opened her gallery in Stonington, Maine in 1986. She shows extensively across the United States as well as London
and the Cameroon. Her work is featured in over 700 private, corporate and museum collections. A former Connecticut resident,
she holds a BA from the University of California at Santa Cruz which bestowed upon her their 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award.
Richard Kane
Richard Kane is a producer/director of arts documentaries of which Imber’s Left Hand, won three Best Film audience awards. It is
Kane’s second feature documentary and the 15th film in the American Artists collection, his New England Emmy-nominated series.
Moderator, Deborah Gaudet, Director of Film Programs, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford
The Last Mentsch – Closing Night - Sunday, April 10, 2016
Dr. Samuel D. Kassow
Dr. Kassow is the Charles Northam Professor at Trinity College, Hartford. He was born in a displaced persons' camp in Germany.
His mother survived because a classmate hid her and her sister in a cave underneath the barn on his family's farm. His father was
arrested by the Russians and spent the duration of the war in a Soviet prison camp. He is a consultant to the Museum of History of
the Polish Jews in Warsaw, Poland. His book, Who Will Write Our History? Rediscovering a Hidden Archive From the Warsaw
Ghetto is being made into a feature documentary by Roberta Grossman and Nancy Spielberg.
Dr. Avinoam Patt
Avinoam J. Patt is the Philip D. Feltman Professor of Modern Jewish History at the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at
the University of Hartford, where he is also director of the Museum of Jewish Civilization. An author and expert on the Holocaust,
Israel, Zionism and Jewish culture, he began his career as a scholar at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in
Washington D.C. He received his Ph.D. in Modern European History and Hebrew and Judaic Studies from New York University.