Arts & F,ntertainment
JEWISH
FILM
FESTIVAL
What To See, What To See!
If you can't see every film festival offering, here are a few you won't want to miss.
Elizabeth Applebaum
Special to the Jewish News
F
ilm Festival Director David
Magidson, along with Betty
Pernick, the film festival chair-
man, and Eric Lumberg, the festival's co-
chairman, offer 11 recommendations in
honor of the event's 11th year.
The Purple Gang recommended by
David Magidson:
This unique Detroit Jewish story is more
than "eavesdropping!' It is a tale about Jews
becoming Americans and then releasing
their children as full partners in the New
World. Were they always on the right side
of the law? No. But the children were not
brought in, and everything moved on. A
beautifully done picture.
Waltz with Bashir, recommended by
David Magidson:
Astonishing animation enables us to
watch terrible battles, nightmares, tender-
ness and sorrow. This is a deeply anti-war
film about what can happen to soldiers who
engage anywhere — even by stepping aside
— in the waltz with death. It is simultane-
ously achingly beautiful and awful.
Sixty Six, recommended by David
Magidson:
This movie is for anyone who has been
bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, confirmed,
graduated, etc. It is a compilation of every-
thing that could possibly go wrong. Set in
England during the 1966 world football
championships, it is, nevertheless, instantly
recognizable. This film is a hilarious tribute
to the unifying qualities of the diaspora.
Circumcise Me: The Comedy of Yisrael
Campbell and Nichols and May, Take
Two, recommended by David Magidson:
Comedy is the soul of the Jews, and
these two films take us to very different
sides of it. Campbell, an Orthodox come-
dian-Catholic-convert is unique, as are the
urban, hip styling of Nichols and May in a
B4
April 23 • 2009
rarely seen hour of their old routines.
The First Time I Was 20, recommended
by Betty Pernick:
This is a tale of a robust 17-year-old
Jewish misfit who auditions for and is
inducted into her high school's all-male
jazz combo. That this misfit is female, and
talented, is an excuse for the boys' attempts
at practical jokes and mean pranks. But as
she copes with their behavior, the girl finds
her own place in the band and the world.
Lovely jazz ... wonderful dark humor.
Noodle, recommended by Betty Pernick :
The title character is an adorable 6-
year-old Chinese boy who becomes the
responsibility of an Israeli stewardess
named Miri when the boy's mother, Min's
housekeeper, disappears. Noodle and Miri
turn detectives to track down his mother,
a task made more difficult by the fact that
the boy speaks only Chinese and has no
identification or immigration papers.
The Case for Israel: Democracy's
Outpost, recommended by Eric Lumberg:
If you have ever found yourself debat-
ing the need for Israel, this is the film for
you. Alan Dershowitz leads a defense of
the Jewish state, along with nearly 30 other
experts. Interviews and film clips bring to
life his book, and along the way they chal-
lenge Jimmy Carter and his comparison
of Israeli policy to an apartheid system.
Important, powerful and informative
Villa Jasmin, recommended by Eric
Lumberg:
When Serge brings his wife back to
Tunisia to search for his roots, he explores
his parents' history from the 1920s to the
impact of the Vichy government in the
1940s. With beautiful photography and
a compelling story, this film reveals the
Jewish community of Tunisia before, dur-
ing and after the war.
Constantine's Sword, recommended by
Betty Pernick:
A former Catholic priest, James Carroll
explores a legacy of religious violence,
from the rise of genocidal anti-Semitism
to modern-day wars sparked by religious
extremism. He faces the question: Why do
we kill people in the name of God? With
the voices of Liev Shreiber, the late Natasha
Richardson and Eli Wallach.
The Year My Parents Went on
Vacation, recommended by Betty Pernick:
A secular Brazilian Jewish boy named
Moro is dropped off in his grandfather's
Orthodox neighborhood on the eve of the
1970 World Cup, when the political situa-
Extra! Extra!
Many film festival movies include a
bonus program:
•Circumcise Me: The Comedy of
Yisrael Campbell, the story of a
Christian who converts to Judaism,
features a discussion, "Too Soon?
Touchy Subjects and Jewish Humor"
after the film.
1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 19, in
Kalamazoo and 5 p.m. Monday, April
27, in Commerce
•The Champagne Spy, the story of a
mysterious figure named Wolfgang
Lotz who may be a German horse
breeder or an Israeli spy or a for-
mer lieutenant colonel in the SS,
includes a discussion with Lotz's son
in some locations after the film.
5 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, in Ann Arbor;
5 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, in Flint;
and 5 p.m. Thursday, May 7, in
Commerce
•The Purple Gang includes a presen-
tation, following the film, with film-
maker H.G. Manos and author Paul
R. Kavieff.
5 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, in
Birmingham; 8 p.m. Monday, May 4,
in Flint; 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, in
Windsor; 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 6,
tion dictates that his parents take a quick
"vacation."
Four Seasons Lodge, recommended by
Eric Lumberg:
This film is about a group of Holocaust
survivor seniors who have become one
another's family, vacationing together
for 50 years at the Four Seasons Lodge
in New York. In 2008, the owner decides
to close the resort, but the friends get
together and act. An amazing, heart-
warming story about people taking
charge of themselves. Ell
in Commerce; 5 p.m. Thursday, May
7, in Ann Arbor
•Orthodox Stance is the true story of
Dmitriy Salita, a Russian immigrant,
observant Jew and professional
boxer. At 9 a.m., one hour before the
movie, come for New York bagels,
juice and coffee. A question-and-
answer period will follow the movie.
10 a.m. Sunday, May 3, in Commerce
•A Secret tells of a boy's search
for his father and troubling revela-
tions. Film Festival Director David
Magidson will lead a discussion after
the film's showing.
8 p.m. Monday, April 27, in Commerce
The Counterfeiters, a fictionalized
account of a Nazi plan to destabilize
the Allies by flooding England and
the United States with counterfeit
currency, will include a presentation
after the screening. The event will
feature a free dinner and discus-
sion about the film, led by Oakland
University's Film Studies and Jewish
Studies programs. This event is
limited to 60, and reservations are
required. To RSVP, please call (248)
432.5459.
5 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in
Commerce