"Natie the Pirate," a claymation about a Jewish pirate
captain and a "Yiddishe whale, is one of seven short
films that comprise Yewish Journeys."

For The Kids

Nobody needs to feel left out at the Second Annual
Lenore Marwil Film Festival.
"Jewish Journeys," a program of films for children
aged 4-13, is scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday,
May 7. Parents, grandparents and older siblings are
invited as well, with all tickets at a special price of $4.
Popular storyteller Corinne Stavish will provide
background and continuity to the seven short features
that make up the program.
The films chosen for "Jewish Journey" are both for
and about children. Some use live actors, while others
use animation, claymation or a combination of
media.
Each film was selected to appeal to a large span of
age groups, says festival director David Magidson. For
example, the four-minute film of Maurice Sendak's
Where the Wild Things Are brings to the screen a book
that older children may have read when they were
young.
"They will view it with some nostalgia, while for
others it will be new and exciting," he says.
Not all the selections are lighthearted. Silence,
directed by Orly Yadirn, is the true story of a young
girl's flight from the Nazis. The film was made as a
cartoon juxtaposed over old photographs.
Silence is shown with subtitles, which Stavish will
read aloud. Although her goal is to help the young
audience relate to the films on screen, Stavish said she
would not be spoon-feeding any interpretations or
messages.
"I come from an oral tradition that wants listeners
to interpret for themselves," she said.

— Diana Lieberman
Staff Writer

"Jewish Journeys: Films for the Family" has two
screenings, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 7.
Storyteller Corinne Stavish will narrate the films.

•.$„„.

• n•

,aanws

4•Ameow,w,

Jewish grocer and his family but also
through the eyes of an Italian
orphan," Petrie explains. "I could
identify with the Italian character
and how he gained insight and toler-
ance, respect and love.
"I loved Malamud's book, but I
don't take any higher moral. ground.
I want the picture to do that."
Petrie spent time in Detroit 20
years ago directing the film The
Betsy with Laurence Olivier, Robert
Duvall and. Tommy Lee Jones. It
told the story of an auto mogul.
When parents and children view
"Jewish Journeys: Films for the
Family," they will see a film produced
by Kaufman when she worked for
CBS in Chicago — The Hanukkah
Soldier, which follows a young Jewish
fighter during the Civil War.
Adding to the variety of films
shown throughout the week are L.A.
Mohel, capturing different lifestyles
among three mohelim; The Line King,
glimpsing the experiences of cartoonist
Al Hirschfeld; The Poet and the Con,
delving into family values; Chronicle of
Love, probing domestic violence;
Generation Exodus, following Jews in
the 21st century Treyfi describing les-
bian experiences; Angst, going back in
the lives of comedians; Nobody's
Business and With a Family Like Mine
..., revealing family secrets; and
Women, describing Sephardim in
Palestine.
"We've filled this festival with com-
edy, action and drama, and we expect
a lot of participation as we set up dis-
cussions after each film," Kaufman
says. ❑

A by-invitation-only gala open-
ing reception for film festival
patrons, sponsors and invited
guests will take place at the
West Bloomfield JCC's D. Dan
and Betty Kahn Building 6 p.m.
Sunday, April 30.
All films will be screened at
United Artists Theaters in
Commerce Township, located on
Haggerty between 14 and 15
Mile roads (see the accompanying
film schedule for days and times).
A Festival Pass is $65 and
admits the ticket holder to each of
the 13 films (passes are transfer-
able). Individual tickets are $71$6
seniors. Tickets for the family
show are $4 each. For advance
tickets and more information, call
(248) 661-7649, or visit the Web
site at www.jccdet.org .

`With A Family
Like Mine 9

Being one of five individualistic "kids" myself,
it's easy to identify with the comic complications
promised in With a Family Like Mine ... , Todd
Logan's semi-autobiographical first film.
The screenwriter-producer's emotional rela-
tionships with his three sisters and mother are
played out in all their complexity when the char-
acter he calls Todd hires a surprise crew to shoot
a video of a weekend family bat mitzvah.
Although Todd and the sisters are middle-
aged with families and careers of their own,
when thrown into a room together they become
kids again — with the same conflicts, craziness
and insecurities of the past. They still vie for
their mother Marcelle's attention while pushing
each other's buttons to maximum effect.
Logan says his film, directed by old friend
David Seman, taps into the uneasiness many

"With a
Family Like
Mine ...
is probably
a lot like
yours.

experience when they journey back to the family
of their childhood and attend reunion events,
like weddings and graduations.
"I think people can identify with the anxiety
that's provoked by these get-togethers," Logan
says.
He notes that doing this project had its perks:
"Imagine you're having a conversation with your
brothers and sisters and you don't like what
they've said I got the satisfaction of rewriting
their responses. That sense of control just drove
my family nuts."
For Todd in real life and in the film, the loss
of his father at an early age proves a defming
moment for family members, who deal with the
death in their own unique ways.
Logan says his sisters were good sports about
his making a comedy that hardly flatters them.
Mostly, he sees his film as reaffirming the impor-
tance of adult sibling relationships, saying that
even when "kids" grow up they look to retain
their early closeness.

-- Esther Allweiss Tschirhart
Copy Editor

With a Family Like Mine ... will be shown 5
p.m. Sunday, May 7. Screenwriter Todd
Logan and director David Seaman will dis-
cuss the film following the screening.

.„„

4/21

2000

87