Pr` WOMEN'S EVENTS A scene Finding Hillywood from kk‘k ga)2 IN THE MONTH OF MAY Congregation Shir Tikvah invites you to experience an exciting and inspiring two-part women's series! Finding Hillywood AN EVENING OF HEALING, EMPOWERMENT & CONNECTION FOR WOMEN Jewish filmmaker relates to Rwanda. Suzanne Chessler I Contributing Writer Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. Join Rabbi Tamara Kolton, Scholar-in- Residence for an evening of connection among women. Through the ancient symbols of fire and water, we will conduct a ceremony of empowerment & healing. There is no charge for this program, but reservations are requested. L A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN Saturday, May 31 at 1 p.m. Join Karen Taylor Good and Stowe Dailey Shockey, two of Nashville's award-winning songwriter/authors for this song- inspired, heart-opening women's workshop. A unique, powerful, ife-affirming presentation mixing heart, humor and hutzpah! $15/members; $20 guests. FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS AND TO RSVP, VISIT SHIRTIKVAH.ORG DETROIT JEWISH NEWS JN I .D124. NEW SPRING COLLECTION JUST IN TIME FOR MOTHER'S DAY TOO CHIC BOUTIQUE IC, CHIC, AFFORDABLE CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES AND b11-14 OPEN DAILY 11AM • CLOSED SUNDAY 2985 Orchard Lake Rd. @ Cass Lake Rd. Keego Harbor in Sawyer's Landing 10 OFF 248-681-Chic(244 www.too-chicboutique.com Purchase of $50 or more. Not valid with any other offers. Expires 5/30/14. Discount on pre-tax amount. 20 3y 8 • 2014 1916460 eah Warshawski, close to a grandmother who has survived the Holocaust, readily reacts to issues surrounding genocide and relates to the plight long faced by Rwandans. When Warshawski, Y It i l a filmmaker, vis- ited Rwanda in 2007 as part of a work project, she did not expect to see an emerging motion picture industry, but that's what she found Leah and decided the Warshawski realization was worth sharing. The result is a new film, Finding Hillywood, which chronicles one man's effort to heal his country while confronting his past. As director and producer, Warshawski has captured the start of Rwanda's film initiatives and the pioneers bringing local films to rural communities. Finding Hillywood tentatively will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak. Under a distribution arrangement, a required number of tickets must be purchased online by Thursday, May 15, for the screening to take place. "The film gives audiences a differ- ent sense of Rwanda than what they've seen in the media over the past 20 years because of the genocide says Warshawski, 35, in a phone conversa- tion from her home in Seattle. "I like that it causes people to think a little bit differently. "When I was working on that other project in Rwanda, I met some local filmmakers who told me they were part of a film festival. "That's really how I was introduced to the idea and intrigued by the concept of Rwandans watching movies together and hearing their own language. For many viewers, it was the first time they had ever seen a movie' This is the first feature film for Warshawski, who specializes in docu- mentary-style video content, television shows and short films in remote loca- tions. She has worked in more than 30 countries for major corporations, such as Microsoft and Starbucks. "I ended up as a filmmaker because of an introduction I had while working on a boat in Hawaii:' says Warshawski, who has a bachelor's degree in Japanese language from the University of Hawaii and did translation for Japanese tourists. "On the boat, I met someone who helped me get a produc- tion job:' Warshawski went on to work in the marine department for major features and shows, including The Rundown, Hawaii, Baywatch and Lost. She has begun work on her next project, a documentary about her grandmother, Sonia Warshawski. "I didn't go to film school: says the producer-director, who lived in Ann Arbor for almost two years when she was between schools and working for Cafe Zola. "I had amazing mentors:" Two artistic mentors were her par- ents, Evy Warshawski, a former direc- tor of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, and Morrie Warshawski, a freelance art consultant who wrote the book Shaking the Money Tree and is consult- ing producer for Finding Hillywood. Warshawski's husband, Todd Soliday, did the animations and graph- ics for the film set in Rwanda. "I hope audiences walk away from Finding Hillywood thinking about the world a little differently:' says Warshawski, whose great uncle, Isak Federman, started the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education in Kansas. "Everybody has a story. Although there are a lot of things you can't realize when seeing a person, you find each one relatable after you start talking. "I want audiences to realize that there are people on the other side of the world doing amazing things with very few resources, and I hope we've shown the beauty of Rwanda and the value of traveling and learning about other cultures and people." With enough advance sales, Finding Hillywood will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, at the Main Art Theatre, 118 N. Main, Royal Oak. $11. Tickets must be purchased by May 15 through an Internet connection at https://gathr.us/screening/ reserve/7741. ❑