9 minute read
Night Opening
Neva Small
Our Almost Completely True Story
VIRTUAL – AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 2
48-HOUR VIEWING WINDOW
Director: Don Scardino, USA, 2022, English, 90 min
To say that Mariette Hartley and Jerry Sroka make an unlikely couple is an understatement She is a tall, elegant screen star who worked with Hitchcock; he is a short, pudgy voice actor known for Antz and Family Guy But when the shared indignities of being older, out-of-work actors while navigating the seniors singles scene bring them together, Hartley is eventually won over by Sroka’s quirky humor and innate goodness The film also features cameos by Bernie Kopell, Morgan Fairchild and Tess Harper .
Free to sponsors and early ticket buyers
Dead Sea Guardians
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 • 1 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Directors: Iddo Glass, Yoav Kleinman, Israel, 2022, Hebrew/Arabic with English subtitles, 78 min
The film follows three men from very different lives, Oded from Israel, Munqeth from Jordan and Yusuf from Palestine . Together they devise a high-profile event to bring attention to the environmental catastrophe threatening the Dead Sea, organizing a group of international swimmers to swim from Jordan to Israel . The film follows this extraordinary feat aimed at garnering media exposure to drive the region’s countries to act . However, friendship among the trio is tricky, and the political realities and personal baggage that each carries surface to the top .
DRAMA Sponsor: Helene Diamond
DOCUMENTARY Sponsor: Erica Hartman-Horvitz & Richard Horvitz
Sch Chten
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 • 9 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Thomas Roth, Austria, 2022, German with English subtitles, 110 min
As a child, Victor witnessed the merciless killings of Jews by Nazis . He never forgot Now, two decades later, and a successful businessman in Vienna, he remains deeply resentful and has a burning desire for justice Victor seeks the help of Simon Wiesenthal, the renowned “Nazi hunter,” but the political and legal system in 1960s Austria is still run by former Nazis, and there is no avenue for Victor to take action . Victor loses faith in the justice system and takes matters into his own hands
Also available to stream September 15-18 (48-hour viewing window)
A Tree Of Life
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 • 11 AM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Trish Adlesic, USA, 2021, English, 80 min
On Shabbat morning, October 27, 2018, a white supremacist opened fire and killed 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American history . Survivors recount their harrowing experiences, and families of victims discuss how their lives have changed . Interviews document the increase in hate-based crimes leading up to the attack and perspectives on what needs to happen to prevent future attacks
Official Selection, DOCNYC
Sponsors:
DOCUMENTARY
Sponsors: Irwin Lowenstein and Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein
Our Sons
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 • 2 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Avi Maor Marzouk, Israel, 2021, Hebrew/French/English, 55 min
The painful story of three lone soldiers from the Golani Brigade who were killed on the first day of the ground entry into Gaza in Operation Eitan in 2014 . The deaths of Sean Carmeli, Jordan Ben Simon and Max Steinberg became a part of the Israeli national consciousness when thousands of Israelis spontaneously showed up to their funerals to give support to their families, who didn’t have a community to mourn with them in Israel The fallen soldiers became a symbol of the strong ties between the diaspora and Israel .
Join us for a Film Schmooze at Heights Arts following the film.
Levys Of Monticello
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 • 4 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Steven Pressman, USA, 2021, English, 70 min
Filmmaker Steven Pressman traces the legacy of slavery and the rise of anti-Semitism in America through the story of the Levy family who owned Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s beloved home A few years after Jefferson died in debt in 1826, Monticello was purchased by Uriah Phillips Levy, the first Jewish commodore in the U .S . Navy Having experienced anti-Semitism, Levy shared Jefferson’s views on religious freedom, but, like Jefferson, Levy was also a slave owner Monticello’s ownership then passed to Uriah’s nephew, Jefferson Monroe Levy, a U S . congressman, who faced a movement fueled by anti-Semitism to make Monticello a national monument .
DOCUMENTARY Sponsor: Norma Lerner
DOCUMENTARY
Greener Pastures
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 • 7 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Directors: Assaf Abiri & Matan Guggenheim, Israel, 2022, Hebrew with English subtitles, 90 min
Dov, a widower, is forced by his family to move to a nursing home . He has lost his pension savings, the nursing home feels like a prison, and all Dov can think about is getting out of there, buying his old house back and living there until he dies When he notices that all his fellow residents smoke legal medical cannabis, he realizes that weed will be his salvation – selling it, not smoking it . When love, cops and gangsters come into play, Dov finds himself at a crossroads: Will he risk it all to make his dream come true?
Nominated for 12 Israeli Ophir Awards
The Fourth Window
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 • 2PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Yair Qedar, Israel, 2021, Hebrew with English subtitles, 86 min
A sober, unvarnished portrait of Amos Oz, the documentary examines the writer’s complicated life and stellar career . Behind the celebrated author’s success, lurked both the tragedy of his mother’s suicide and his daughter’s accusation of abuse The film weaves Oz’s conversations with insightful commentary from his literary peers, including David Grossman and Etgar Keret, as well as actress Natalie Portman, who directed the film adaptation of his masterpiece, A Tale of Love and Darkness . Each pays testimony to Oz’s singular impact on Israeli culture and politics
DRAMA Sponsors: Mindy & Martin Davidson and Shelly & Scott Lewis
DOCUMENTARY
The Man In The Basement
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 • 7:30 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Philippe Le Guay, France, 2021, French with English subtitles, 114 min
A Parisian couple sells their flat’s unused cellar to a seemingly normal former history teacher . But when he takes up residence, the stranger’s secret life as an anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist emerges . As the couple struggles to rescind the sale, the increasingly menacing buyer insinuates himself with their naive teenage daughter, turning the family’s idyllic world upside down Provocative and superbly acted, the nightmare scenario is based on a true story .
One More Story
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 • 2 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Guri Alfi, Israel, 2021, Hebrew with English subtitles, 92 min
An ambitious young journalist, Yarden, is put to the test when her boss (who is also her lover) assigns her to do a story about blind dating in hopes of boosting ratings . Even cynical millennials believe in true love, right? Yarden’s not so sure, but she proceeds based on her boss’ promise to publish her first novel if she writes the piece . The film is the directorial debut of Israel’s popular comedian and TV personality, Guri Alfi, and is based on Omer Barak’s bestseller, Wedding Rush, which received the highest price ever paid for movie rights in Israel
Adult content: sexual situations
Cinema Sabaya
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 • 7:30 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Orit Fouks Rotem, Israel & Belgium, 2021, Hebrew/Arabic with English subtitles, 95 min
Nine women enroll in a course with Rona, a young Israeli director hired to teach an introductory filmmaking course Jewish and Arab, secular and religious, the women share their personal video footage with their classmates each week They are confronted not only with the stark differences in their life circumstances but also by aspects of their connection The result is both an illuminating lesson in empathy and celebration of female collaboration
Winner for Best Israeli Film Debut, Jerusalem Film Festival
FAREWELL MR. HAFFMANN
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 • 2 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Fred Cavaye’, France, 2021, French with English subtitles, 116 min
PARIS 1941 . Joseph Haffmann is the owner and gifted jeweler of a humble shop, while François is his ambitious employee who yearns to start a family with wife Blanche Under the German occupation, the employer and employee strike a deal to sign over the store to François, but when Mr . Haffmann and his family plan to evacuate, he is unable to get out in time
As Mr Haffmann finds himself at the mercy of François, their relationship deteriorates under the pressure of increasing shortages and deportations .
Adaptation of Jean-Philippe Daguerre’s Molière award-winning play .
Also available to stream September 15-18 (48-hour viewing window)
Karaoke
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 • 7:30 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Moshe Rosenthal, Israel, 2022, Hebrew, 100 min
The offbeat comedy follows Tova and Meir, an ordinary couple married 46 years with two grown daughters . Living comfortably in a Tel Aviv suburb, Meir is on sabbatical and Tova runs a boutique When Itzik, a charismatic bachelor, moves into the building’s penthouse, their lives get a jolt of excitement as Tova and Meir fall for Itzik’s energetic lifestyle and compete with their neighbors to win Itzik’s attention When Itzik begins to pull away from Meir and Tova, the couple’s obsession with the bachelor grows into a full-blown identity crisis Starring Sasson Gabay (The Band’s Visit, Shtisel) and Lior Ashkenazy (Footnote, Late Marriage) .
Opening night film, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival; official selection, Tribeca Film Festival
DRAMA Sponsors: Heather Ross-Lowenstein and Helen & Ronald Ross
That Orchestra With The Broken Instruments
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 • 2 PM • CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Yuval Hameiri, Israel, 2021, Hebrew/Arabic/English with English subtitles, 79 min
A broken string, fractured echo chamber, rusting valves One brilliant conductor, three gifted composers and 100 professional and amateur musicians speaking different languages meet for four days of rehearsals to prepare, against all odds, for a one-time-only concert in Jerusalem A poetic, engaging take on broken and whole presents Jerusalem characters and an attempt to create harmony in a discordant city .
DOCUMENTARY
Rose
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 • 7:30 PM
CEDAR LEE THEATRE
Director: Aurelie Saada, France, 2021, French with English subtitles, 102 min
When patriarch Philippe dies, his grieving wife Rose feels her life is over Then a chance dinner party reignites her zest for life, but her somewhat dysfunctional adult children find her behavior unbecoming for an elderly widow While the children are unsure how to deal with this new vivacious version of their mother, Rose begins celebrating life again
Winner, Variety Piazza Grande Award, Locarno International Film Festival
Apples And Oranges
VIRTUAL – AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15-18
48-HOUR VIEWING WINDOW
Director: Yoav Brill, Israel, 2021, Hebrew/English with English subtitles, 52 min
The 1967 Six-Day War generated a wave of support for Israel that the kibbutz movement saw as a miracle . When travel agencies started selling “kibbutz volunteering” packages, it was clear that volunteering had also became a profitable business At the same time, the kibbutz found itself facing unfamiliar phenomena – drugs, alcohol and marriage with nonJewish volunteers . During the 1980s, unemployment across Europe secured a steady number of volunteers, but now Israel was no longer the same country The war in Lebanon and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict forced the volunteers to face a new question: Does supporting the kibbutz mean supporting the State of Israel?
Snowland
VIRTUAL – AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15-18
48-HOUR VIEWING WINDOW
Director: Jonni Zicoltz, Israel, 2020, Hebrew with English subtitles, 85 min
Set in Tel Aviv against the backdrop of another Israeli war, Amir and Johnny’s longtime friendship is put to the test right before their 40th birthdays Amir is grappling with his daughter’s cancer diagnosis and his crumbling marriage, as his wife issues a restraining order against him Meanwhile, Johnny is coming to terms with closing his bar and breaking up his six-year relationship with Mickey, just as they’re about to walk down the aisle . Both men are lost, yet despite their immense pain, they search for a ray of light ahead .
Spiritual Audacity
VIRTUAL – AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15-18
48-HOUR VIEWING WINDOW
Director: Martin Doblmeier, USA, 2021, English, 57 min
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was one of the most influential scholars of the 20th century . Author of important religious works including The Prophets, Heschel was a leading activist, mentor to the civil rights movement, critic of the Vietnam War, champion for Soviet Jewry and pioneer of interfaith dialogue . Drawing on archival footage and rarely-seen interviews with a diverse group who knew and were influenced by Heschel, the comprehensive documentary provides a fitting portrait of one of the most important Jewish figures of the last century
Where Life Begins
VIRTUAL – AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15-18
48-HOUR VIEWING WINDOW
Director: Stéphane Freiss, France/Italy, 2022, French/Italian with English subtitles, 101 min
The Zelniks, an ultra-Orthodox French family who spend their summers in southern Italy collecting citrons, are hosted by Elio, a non-devout Catholic on a country estate . The Zelniks’ intense and quick-tempered daughter, Esther, feeling trapped between her devotion to her family and the desire to free herself from the Orthodox life of restrictions and rituals, contemplates abandoning the Orthodox life, but, “Leaving God is like a divorce,” she says to Elio . As the two form a bond, Esther comes to understand the importance of freedom and following her own path .
Xueta Island
VIRTUAL – AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15-18
48-HOUR VIEWING WINDOW
Directors: Dani Rotstein, Felipe Wolokita & Ofer Laszewicki, Spain/USA, 2021, English/ Spanish with English subtitles, 63 min
The Spanish island of Majorca has a secret history: A group of families have been discriminated against for centuries because their surnames have a connection to a once-suppressed Jewish heritage . Nevertheless, a few have been inspired to return to the faith of their ancestors . Are they the best suited to lead Mallorquin Judaism despite not having practiced their faith for centuries?
