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ATLANTA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
Norman Lear Helped A Star Is Reborn Make Better Version of Us In Wilshire Sanctuary After years of revolutionizing programming by creating flagship shows including “All in the Family,” “Good Times,” “Maude,” “The Jeffersons,” and “Sanford and Son,” Norman Lear stands on his own in TV history. Directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady allow his legacy to do the same in “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You,” a comprehensive documentary on the life and work of the 94-year-old actor, writer, producer and director. Reminiscences by Lear and cameo commentary from the likes of George Clooney and Jon Stewart, mixed with carefully selected clips, reveal the intent and activism behind Lear’s work. In today’s environment of political correctness, these shows might be censored. But Lear’s characters worked in 1970s America because their issues and stereotypes were real. Archie Bunker was your bigoted neighbor, father-in-law or co-worker. Edith was the submissive wife. Michael “Meathead” Stivic was the hippie sonin-law or boyfriend next door. Maude mirrored the women’s movement and took on groundbreaking issues. In the controversial “abortion episode,” which brought in 65 million viewers and 17,000 letters,
By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com Norman Lear recounts his career in “Just Another Version of You,” screening Feb. 1, 2, 10 and 11.
the words “abortion” and “vasectomy” made their prime-time TV debut. Lear put equal rights in the spotlight as well. Actor John Amos said “Good Times” brought us the “first black family on TV,” followed by “The Jeffersons,” representing “the American dream for black people.” The documentary details the background that shaped Lear, from seeing, at age 9, his father handcuffed and taken to jail, to landing with his grandparents and wanting to be “a good provider,” to earning a scholarship to Emerson College before enlisting in the Army after Pearl Harbor. Regarding his “childlike view of the world,” Lear says, “I have never been in a situation in my life, however tragic, where I didn’t see some comedy.” The documentary might stretch a little too long at the end, but it does a good job of revealing the man who has entertained and educated generations with his brand of realism through satire and activism through comedy. ■
Unforgettable ‘Sonia’ Makes a Big Impact By Janice Convoy-Hellmann There’s a reason why “Big Sonia” won the prize for best documentary and the audience award at the Napa Valley Film Festival and has been nominated for best documentary in AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards: It’s a charming and emotionally moving film, much like the woman it highlights. Sonia Warshawski, the elderly yet fiercely independent Holocaust survivor depicted in the film, is big only in terms of the impact she makes. She’s a petite seamstress of Polish descent who realized late in life that her personal stories of persecution and resilience were part of the reason she survived, so she bore witness to help others. The documentary — made by So-
nia’s granddaughter Leah Warshawski and Leah’s husband, Todd Soliday — follows the 91-year-old on some of her speaking engagements with high school students and incarcerated men. Those talks are juxtaposed with the conversations she has with the loyal customers of her tailor shop, and you begin to understand how this “little, old woman” has touched so many lives. The film’s occasional animation, interviews with her children and friends, and focus on her unique sense of style, including a fondness for leopard print, all serve to humanize Sonia and engage the viewer. This is not like any other Holocaust survivor film you’ve seen, and, if you’re like me, you’re not likely to forget “Big Sonia” Warshawski any time soon. ■
Ties to Los Angeles are not necessary to appreciate “Restoring Tomorrow,” a film about the restoration of the magnificent sanctuary at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple. The sanctuary is the star, from pews that slope toward the bimah as if in a movie theater to the murals that stretch across its walls to massive stained-glass windows and a 100-foot dome, a breathtaking sight for visitors and longtime members. The supporting actors of this 76-minute documentary, which will screen twice at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, are the congregants and clergy who talk passionately about Wilshire Boulevard (founded in 1864 as Congregation B’nai B’rith) and its role in the growth of Los Angeles. “Restoring Tomorrow” was a homecoming of sorts for filmmaker Aaron Wolf, who grew up at Wilshire Boulevard as the grandson of Rabbi Alfred Wolf, who served the congregation
for 36 years. The condition of the aging (finished in 1929) structure lapsed as congregants moved farther west in the California metropolis, a migration that led Wilshire Boulevard to build a campus to serve that population. A decision was needed on the fate of the building at the intersection of Wilshire and Hobart. Should it be sold, in which case it likely would be torn down? Or was maintaining a presence in an ethnically diverse part of Los Angeles, one experiencing an influx of younger Jewish families, worth an investment of more than $150 million? Rabbi Steve Leder told the congregation board that if Wilshire Boulevard removed its roots from the neighborhood, it also would need a new senior rabbi. The film shows how, by restoring the luster of its sanctuary, Wilshire Boulevard planted new roots for its future by expanding the facility to better serve congregants and, as importantly, the neighborhood it calls home. ■
Holocaust Humor: ‘Last Laugh’ Goes There By Kevin Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com
“He who has cried enough, laughs,” says a caption at the beginning of “The Last Laugh.” The words are from German novelist Heinrich Mann, whose own life was infused with tragedy. Whether laughter and humor are appropriate when combined with Hitler and the Holocaust is the subject of this potent documentary, and producer Ferne Pearlstein has assembled a cast of prominent comedians to weigh in. Sarah Silverman, known for being both funny and blisteringly offensive, says, “It’s important to talk about things that are taboo. Otherwise, they just stay in this dark place.” Anyone in a position of authority is fair game, argues Mel Brooks, who has lampooned Nazis and their ilk in classic movies such as “The Producers” and “History of the World: Part I.” Brooks, who wrote the line “Don’t be stupid/Be a schmarty/Come and join the Nazi Party,” approaches what is seemingly off-limits with an attitude of revenge through ridicule. “Anything I
Filmmaker Ferne Pearlstein explores the limits of humor in “The Last Laugh,” being screened Jan. 28 and Feb. 4, 9 and 14.
could do to deflate the Germans, I did,” he says. That is not the case with Silverman and the late Joan Rivers, who showed no compunction in tackling the subject with jaw-dropping candor. Rob Reiner says that although the Holocaust is not funny, there can be humor in what it takes to survive it. The documentary also includes clips from an unreleased film by Jerry Lewis called “The Day the Clown Cried,” in which the main character, incarcerated by the Nazis, accompanies children to their deaths while performing balloon tricks. No wonder the movie 23 was shelved. ■ JANUARY 13 ▪ 2017
By Leah R. Harrison lharrison@atljewishtimes.com