Derudder, immersed himself in five years' worth of meticulous research on Lustiger; in one telling interview, soon after he became archbishop, the priest insisted that "I was born Jewish and so I remain, even if that is unaccept- able to many. For me, the vocation of Israel is bringing light to the goyim. That is my hope, and I believe that Christianity is the means for achiev- ing it" While the specifics of Lustiger's faith ultimately remained a mystery to Duran Cohen, the filmmaker found clues as to why the cardinal staunchly maintained that he was still Jewish. "Even though spiritually he was a true Catholic, he didn't want to deny his mother's death at Auschwitz or to be cut off from his family" the direc- tor said. "He was also a child survivor during the war, and therefore a victim of the war somehow." "The young convert Lustiger found [Catholicism] to be a life jacket through which he could try to get through the reality of the martyrdom of his mother" Lucas, the actor who portrays the cardinal, said through a translator in an email. But when production of The Jewish Cardinal began in summer 2012, the project was perceived as so controver- sial that not a single cathedral in the Paris archdiocese would allow Duran Cohen to shoot on its premises; the filmmaker and his team had to make do with smaller cathedrals outside the French capital whose officials were not as squeamish about the subject matter. Duran Cohen re-created the scenes at Auschwitz, in part, at a train muse- um in Paris: "Those were very hard for me because some of the wagons had almost certainly been used to transport Jews to the camps" he said. "So it was a very heavy experience, but we brought those emotions to the film" One of the most excruciating scenes in The Jewish Cardinal takes place as Lustiger visits Auschwitz for the first time, dropping to his knees on the train tracks, sobbing, and is so over- whelmed that he can recite neither the Lord's Prayer nor Kaddish for his mother. "I wanted the character to appear paralyzed and suffocated, as if he were surrounded by walls crushing in on him" Duran Cohen said. "That's the point at which he is at a crossroads with his identity; he is there in the camp where his mother and millions of Jews died, all the while wearing his dress as a cardinal. But it's the beginning of his coming to terms with that conflict" The Jewish Cardinal ultimately played to sold-out audiences at the New York Jewish Film Festival this year and has received good reviews, with the Hollywood Reporter noting its "uncommon depth and nuance:' "I don't think Lustiger's family is at ease with the film, but they're some- how happy that the world now knows more about him:' the director said. Nevertheless, Duran Cohen added, "I came out of this film totally drained; I couldn't do anything for a year" ❑ Live music Cocktails Tasting menu ■ 5 Course wine dinner Champagne toast at mignight Celebrate New Year's Eve with C.A.Y.A. Smokehouse Grill! 8:00 p.m. - Dinner Begins Tasting menu and dinner courses paired with wine selections. $85 per person, tax and tip not included. Reservations required as space is limited. • 248.438.6741 • www.cayagrill.com 1403 S. Commerce Rd., Wolverine Lake 1962120 ANN ARBOR 'RESTAURANT WEEK JA N 18 — 23 2015 agents are responsible for hacking into the Sony Films' computer sys- tem and releasing confidential cor- porate information). Major theater chains declined to show the film. Note: The Theory of Everything, the Stephen Hawking biopic star- ring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, opened several weeks ago but is still playing in theaters. I recently became aware that the British physicist who supervised Hawking's doctorate, the late Dennis Sciama (1926-1999), was of Syrian Jewish background; he is an important character in the film, played by David Thewlis of Harry Potter fame. Kennedy Center Honors The annual Kennedy Center Honors, awards for excellence in the arts, were presented on Dec. 7 in Washington, D.C. At 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30, CBS will host the network's annual presenta- tion of the awards ceremony. It is always a great show and is never shown in reruns. I am giving you a heads-up even though this is the first year since 2005 in which none of the five honorees is Jewish. One honoree is Detroit native and comedy legend Lily Tomlin. Another is all-around good guy Tom Hanks. His buddy and frequent collaborator, Steven Spielberg, 67, took the stage to praise Hanks, calling him "America's favorite son." Other honorees include musicians Sting and Al Green and ballerina Patricia McBride. ANNARBORRESTAURANTWEEK.COM Come in and experience great service and a relaxing environment! FREE HALF OFF JESSICA QUINN WELCOMES YOU! • 21,B ti WITH FIRST COLOR SERVICE I .INCLUDES HIGH AND LOWLITES I ($40 and up) Value $40 I JESSICA ONLY I (COLOR/DESIGN) Pravana Smoothing Treatment Call for consultation. et , Haircut and Blow Dry I Haircut and Blow Dry 6171 Haggerty Rd West Bloomfield In Bloomfield Avenue Shoppes 248.669.1910 New clients or returning clients after 6 months. With coupon, not valid with other offers. Expires 1/08/15. 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