Arts & Entertainment
REEL LIFE I ON THE COVER
A Matter
of Size
Fly Away T
he Silver Screen F°44 Fa he
Leave your worries behind and escape into a world of magic and wonder
at the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival.
Elizabeth Applebaum I Special to the Jewish News
I
n 1939, 25 cents could buy happiness.A nickel for a bag of popcorn and
20 cents for a movie ticket and you were off to an amazing world of
wicked witches and sparkly beautiful ones in The Wizard of Oz, swept
up in a romantic story of the old South in Gone with the Wind, fighting for
the passions of an honest young senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or
yearning for love alongside the lonely Hunchback of Notre Dame.
More than 70 years later it costs a little more than a quarter for a movie
and popcorn. But the enchantment of films continues — and nowhere
more so than the 2010 Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit's
Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival. Come escape, imagine, laugh, weep,
learn, dream and fly away to paradise.
You'll Laugh, You'll Cry -Rave Reviews!
In honor of the film festival's 12th anniversary: a baker's dozen worth of suggestions.
Eric Lumberg, 44, of Birmingham, is
chairman of the JCC's Lenore Marwil
Jewish Film festival. The Michigan native,
a graduate of the University of Michigan
and University of Detroit Law School, is
an attorney in private practice in West
Bloomfield.
Shari Lebo, 46, of Novi (where she is
a trustee of the school board), is in her
first year as film festival director. The New
York native, who holds degrees in mass
communications and media arts, plus a
master's in international governments and
organizations, comes from a creative fam-
ily that includes her sister, Lynn Appelle,
who won an Academy Award for her docu-
mentary Thoth.
Here, Lumberg and Lebo help you find
exactly what you're looking for in a movie.
When you need a good cry:
For My Father
"Boy meets girl — an unlikely relation-
ship in an unlikely place. How far can
you run to escape your past and begin to
imagine your future?" — Shari Lebo
When you're looking for inspiration:
No. 4 Street of Our Lady
"Holocaust survivors travel back to the
house where they were hidden by a Polish-
Catholic woman. See what one person
can do in the wake of unspeakable odds!'
(The film is the winner of this year's
Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival Best
Documentary Feature.) — Eric Lumberg
"Twin brothers fall for the same girl and
learn about family loyalty and fulfilling
dreams in this award-winning film from
Israel!' — E.L.
When you need to laugh: A Matter of Size
"I dare you not to laugh as you watch
four extremely large Israeli sumo wrestlers
running down the road in nothing but
diapers." — S.L.
When you want to learn something com-
pletely new: Holy Land Hardball
"Professional baseball in Israel? It can
— and did happen!" — S.L.
When you're in the mood for mystery and
intrigue: The Debt
"This film will keep you on the edge of
your seat, questioning truth from lies, fact
from fiction!" — S.L.
When you're a teen (or just feeling like say-
ing "Leave me alone!" non-stop):
Hey Hey It's Esther Blueberger
"What is normal and who decides pop-
ularity and what does it mean to be the
outsider? See this movie and find out that
different is OK!" — E.L.
When you want history to come alive:
Detroit Remembers When
"Recall the youth of our parents or
grandparents, and see how the city of
Detroit was shaped by Jewish
immigrants!' — E.L.
When you're ready to be totally mesmer-
ized: The Name My Mother Gave Me
"Imagine the journey home as
Ethiopian Jews return to their villages and
reflect on their heritage." — S.L.
When you're feeling sentimental:
The Brothers Warner
"Step back into old-time Hollywood life
with the men who invented the red car-
pet!' — S.L.
When you need a bit of romance: Beau Jest
"A mother obsessed with finding her
disinterested daughter a nice Jewish hus-
band; a daughter living a 'white lie'; and a
Jewish doctor who is neither Jewish nor a
doctor. A recipe for disaster
or love?" — S.L.
When you're feeling feisty: Lost Islands
When your heart is yearning for Israel:
My Flag and Eyes Wide Open
"How do you connect to Israel? Both
of these films offer perspectives on what
it means to be Jewish and traveling to Israel
and the meaning of the Israeli flag!' — E.L.
More stories on page 48.
Elizabeth Applebaum is a marketing
specialist at the Jewish Community
Center of Metropolitan Detroit.
At The Box Office
The JCC's Lenore Marwil Jewish Film
Festival runs April 25-May 6 at the
United Artists Commerce Township
(14 Mile Road and Haggerty),
April 26-29 at the Palladium 12
Birmingham, 250 N. Woodward; April
25-29 at the Michigan Theatre Ann
Arbor, 603 E. Liberty St.; and April
29-May 6 at the Flint Institute of
Arts,1120 Kearlsley St.
Season passes are $154 for JCC
members and $180 for non-mem-
bers, which provide entry to all films.
Tickets at the door are $10 each.
For a complete schedule and to
purchase tickets, go to
www.jccdet.org or call
(248) 432-5461.
April 1 ' 2010
45