Big Screen/Small Screen `The L Word' A TV drama about the lives of lesbian women. CURT SCHLEIER Special to the Jewish News I n The L Word Jenny Schecter, a talented young Midwestern-bred writer, moves to Los Angeles to live with her boyfriend. But she finds herself strangely unnerved by her lesbian neighbors and soon realizes that something 0 has been missing b from her life. That's one of the story arcs of the sure- to-be controversial cable series that pre- mieres 10 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, on Showtime. It is also, with some differ- ences, the real-life story of Ilene Chaiken, the show's creator and executive produc- er. "There are bits and pieces of me in Jenny and one or two other characters I channel myself through," Chaiken said in a telephone interview But neither of them is me. Jenny's psychology is differ- ent, but her story is very much like mine." Chaiken vas 24 when she came out as gay — not to the world but to herself. Until then, she'd led an unremarkable middle-class life. She grew up in a house- hold — and strongly identified as Jewish — in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She dated and even lived with a boyfriend, P11 the while knowing something was out of kilter, yet not understanding what. "The experience [of discovering my sexual orientation] was painful and dis- tressing, but also an incredible relief and revelation," said Chaiken, who had a flir- tation and an affair with an older woman. "I think, at some fundamental level, I knew instantaneously. Probably, I knew it even before then. But it took me a good year to try to stop dating men," she recalled. Her parents, "good, informed, progres- sive, liberal Jews," took the news "very badly" Like Jenny, Chaiken had moved to Los Angeles. Her mother was visiting when Chaiken told her. "She wept, and she called my father who yelled at me for upsetting my mother. They were unpre- pared, and they had all the emotional reactions that many parents do," said Chaiken. Relations have improved since then. "They got over it, incrementally. I came out to them when I was in a relationship. That was about 20 years ago, and I'm still in that relationship," said Chaiken. "Over the course of time, they came to accept my partner and now call her their daughter-in-law." lle process took about a dozen years. "My parents came to terms with it when I told them [my partner] Miggi was pregnant. It was kind of a great moment. They told all their friends they were going to be grandparents, and [their friends] said, 'You didn't even tell us she got married.' That's when my parents told them [about my being gay]. "The best thing about it is you don't know how many friends said, 'Did you know my [son or daughter] is gay?' It was quite heartwarming." Chaiken and partner Miggi Hood have 8-year-old twins, who consider themselves "half-Jewish." Chaiken does not belong to Los Angeles' gay temple, but attends services there regularly. "I now have many friends whose children e Celebrating 30 Years Jewish-themed/Israeli films at DFT. SUZANNE CHESSJ Special to the Jewish News T 314 1/16 2004 46 wo Israeli films enter into the 30th anniversary year program- ming of the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts. fames' ourney to Jerusalem, scheduled April 16-18, uses satire as it follows an African Christian making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Broken Wings, set for April 23-25, follows a widow trying to keep her family together in the face of tragedy. "I don't set out to pick a certain num- ber of films from any particular country," says Elliot Wilhelm, film curator in charge of the DFT since it started. "I just -look for great films." The DFT, which showcases classic and contemporary world cinema, has been visited by more than 3 million moviego- ers in its 1,150-seat auditorium. Besides the weekend fare, the theater offers a Monday Series that features recent inde- pendent films, documentaries and Jewish actress Mia Kirshner plays Jewish character Jenny Schecter on "The L Word." are getting bar mitzvahed. And when I go to temple and take part in the ritual, I always feel very connected and love to sing along. I still remember all the prayers," she said. . Ironically, it was Chaiken's partner who suggested their children become b'nai mitzvah. "She'd never been to [a bar or bat mitzvah] before," said Chaiken. "She comes from a family steeped in the tradi- tions of the Church of England, which she finds in many ways objectionable. She was stunned by how beautiful the bar mitzvah ceremony is." But Chaiken demurred, unless the children were willing to make a full com- mitment to Judaism, which neither was. Meanwhile the show — and Chaiken's life — makes for good television. The writer/producer has a long relationship with Showtime. She's written a couple .of films for the cable network, most notably Dirty Pictures, a dramatization of the restored classics, with this year's emphasis on masterworks by Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. "The fact that we've been around so long is worth celebrating because many similar programs across the country have not survived," says Wilhelm, who also scheduled Monsieur Ibrahim, a French production about a young Jewish boy that stars Omar Sharif as a wise Muslim grocery story owner for March 12-14. One From the Heart a newly restored romantic comedy by Francis Ford Coppola, helps launch the anniversary year Jan. 16-18. The Monday Series offers Federico Fellini's restored I Vitelloni, a lyrical story about a group of young drifters, on Jan. 19 . Robert Mapplethorpe-Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center controversy. That film won the 2000 Golden Globe for best TV film. But even before then, long before Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, even before Showtime's Queer As Folk, Chaiken approached the network with an idea. She wanted to do "a lesbian ensemble that reflects my experiences. They didn't turn me down, but they just didn't buy it." Then, several years ago, they told her the program was a go. By then, the net- work's gay-themed Queer as Folk was on the air and doing well, which "definitely ), made a difference. It is a measure of how much times have changed that Chaiken was able to attract top stars, like Jennifer Beals and Pam Grier, to her production. Ironically, while extremely explicit, The L Word is largely a middle-class show about people attempting to discover who they are and find love and family. Jenny Schecter — played by Jewish actress Mia Kirshner — is one of two Jewish characters in the show. "There is one other character I think is Jewish. I haven't had to decide yet," said Chaiken. Jenny's Jewishness plays a role in two of the later episodes. "She meets some- one who responds to the fact that she's Jewish and likes her very much." Chaiken won't reveal more. She won't even say if that someone is a woman or a man. Meaning we have to watch. El The L Word premieres 10 p.m.- midnight Sunday, Jan. 18, on Showtime. Twelve one-hour episodes will follow 10 p.m. Sundays beginning Jan. 25. Check your local cable listings. " 'An important part of our film choices is giving viewers different perspectives of the world," Wilhelm says. With the recognition of the DFT milestone comes a project initiated by the Cinematic Arts Council, an auxiliary of the DIA'.s Founders Society Members are planning ways to support the renova- tion and upgrading of theater seats. "We haven't tried to chase audiences," explains Wilhelm. "We've tried to main- tain a consistency in our level of pro- gramming. I think any film that becomes memorable is a smashing suc- cess." ri A full DFT schedule is available at vvww.dia.org/cIft/ or (313) 833-3237. .