8/8/2019 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 2009 Guide

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L a k e 68Iri Sgr Ia, 2008, 59 i.Fw by G d a n S kI Ra ILwa y S t a t Io n 52 mIn.

Two lms aboutthelittle-known anti-Semitic hysteria that

gripped Poland in1967 and 68,whenpolitical unrestresult-

ed intheexpulsion o some20,000 Polish Jews:In Lake 68,

expelled amilies returneach summerto thelake inPoland

wheretheyoncetookreuge;inGdanskiRailway Statin,

jointhe poignantreuniono someo theassimilated Polish

Jewish citizens who wereorced outo theirhomes, jobs

and universities and exiled to Israel.

CIneArts Mon, Aug 3 1:15 PM FREE

Lady kuL eL-aRabIism Mr Ia, 2008, 56 i.Pc by G Ro wn u p 20 mIn.

DuahFares,aspiritedDruzeArabromIsraelsGalilee,is

caughtbetweencultures whenshe entersthe MissIsrael

pageant.TheIsraelis orceher tochoose nationalloyalties,

andthe villagetraditionaliststurn thecarnival moodrom

upbeatto ominous.Thesuspenseis heightenedasDuah

deantlyattemptsto remainin competition.Againstthis

landscapeo runwaycompetitionand exploitation,Duahwill

makea decisionthatis guaranteedto provokecontroversy.

CAstro Thu, Jul 30 3:45 PM LADY30CrodA Sat, Aug 1 2:00 PM LADY01BCIneArts Wed, Aug 5 2:30 PM LADY05T

J e wt oonSta uig i: 90 iu.

Rabid jackals,lonelystalkers, bored and disgruntled IDF

soldiers,demon bridegrooms,schoolyard crushes,alling

bombs,crazy cats and severed limbs arejust a smallsample

o whats instore oryou inSFJFFs rst-everanimated

shorts program.

rodA Thu, Aug 6 9:00 PM JEWT06BJCCsF Sat, Aug 8 9:40 PM JEWT08J

J e wS I n S hoR t Sta uig i: 93 iu.

Greatthings comein smallpackages inthis years excep-

tionalshorts programincludingfying babies,Soviet agents,

pickpockets,drumbeats and ragingteenage hormones,and

with appearances bysuch Hollywood luminaries as Lauren

Bacall,Derek Jacobiand BenGazzara,as wellas Dani

Levys latestsatireand NataliePortmans directorialdebut.

rodA Sat, Aug 8 11:30 AM JEWS08B

deSeRt bRIdeSa usiz Ia, 2008, 90 i.

In Desert Brides (BestFilm, Doc AvivFestival2008) a

weddingphotographers lens oers a portalto womens

struggles with polygamy.Ada Ushpizs outstandinglm

explores therealities o becominga rstwie orsecond

wiein Bedouinculture.With thestate pressureon nomadic

cultures to integrateinto Israelisociety,a third o Bedouin

womenlive inpolygamous households ueled bya relentless

driveback to religionor minoritysurvival.Followedbya

panel discussionin Berkeley.

CAstro Wed, July 29 2:15 PM DESE29CrodA Sun, Aug 2 4:00 PM DESE02BCIneArts Tue, Aug 4 2:00 PM DESE04T

defaMatIony Smir Ia, 2009, 91 i.

Israelidirector YoavShamir( Checkpint, Five Days)

explores theways contemporaryJews learnand thinkabout

anti-Semitism,both realand perceived.Spendingtime

with theAnti-DeamationLeagues crusadingdirector Abe

Foxman,and with Israeliteens at Auschwitz who assume

everybodyhates theJews, Shamirworries aboutthe

utureo theJewish soulin anatmosphere o persecution.

Butwhileheis willingto pokea stickata sacred cow,hes

too nuanced a lmmakerto letideology trump thought.

Adaring documentary.

CAstro Sun, Jul 26 7:30 PM DEFA26CrodA Thu, Aug 6 4:15 PM DEFA06BrAFAel Sat, Aug 8 12:00 PM DEFA08R

CyCLeSCril Gll Fac, 2008, 92 i.Pc by wIt h a LIt t Le pa t Ie n Ce 14 mIn.

CyrilGelblat uses a lighthand to sketch a sandwich gen-

erations crisis: Cycles shows thespecialnatureo middle

ageor thechildren o French Holocaustsurvivors,as a sis-

ter(Miou-Miou) and brother (Charles Berling) watch their

mother(Shulamit Adar) slip into anunathomableworld o

memories atthe sametime as theirchildren areslipping

eortlesslyinto adulthood.Inmarvelous perormances,the

absurdityo theirsituationtempers anythreat o pathos.

CAstro Wed, Jul 29 12:00 PM CYCL29CCIneArts Sun, Aug 2 5:00 PM CYCL02TrodA Sat, Aug 8 5:00 PM CYCL08BrAFAel Mon, Aug 10 4:00 PM CYCL10R

C hR onI C L e of a k I d na pnri kr Ia, 2008, 55 i.Pc by G ILa d S h a LIt : 2 ye a RS In Ca pt IvIt y

50 mIn.

OnJuly 12,2006,IDF soldierEhud Goldwasserwas kid-

napped byHezbollah, anevent thattriggered thesecond

Lebanonwar. This is thestoryo theamilies letbehind

and theirstruggleto bringtheir loved ones home,told with

thedet hand and keeneye o documentarianNurit Kedar

(Wasted,SFJFF 2007).In GiladShalit ,Aviva and Noam

Shalitcampaignto reetheirson Gilad,captured byGazan

militants inJune2006.

CAstro Wed, Jul 29 4:45 PM CHRO29CCIneArts Sat, Aug 1 4:00 PM CHRO01TrodA Sun, Aug 2 1:15 PM CHRO02B

b R ok e n p R oMI S eJiri Clms svakia, 2008, 111 i.

Arareand superbentryromSlovakia into thegenreo

Holocaustdrama, Brken Prmise is based onthe true

storyo teenagerMartin Friedmans unlikelyescapes rom

deportationduringthe war.From workcamp to Catholic

inrmaryto anunderground stintwith thePartisans,Martin

manages to windeliverancethrough both chanceand the

aid o kind souls.Thelm explores collectiveand individual

anti-Semitismamonginvaders and liberators alike.

CIneArts Thu, Aug 6 6:30 PM BRPR06TJCCsF Sat, Aug 8 6:45 PM BRPR08J

b R ok e n L I ne SSlli armi Ui Kig, 2008, 112 i.Pc by M y a M u Le t 8 mIn.

Inthis darkand erotic drama setinmulticultural North

London,Jake and Bs carnalaair provides a welcome

escaperom theirtroubled relationships,as despairgives

wayto reedom.Writtenby co-stars DanFredenburgh and

DoralyRosa, and directed with eloquentprecisionbySallie

Aprahamian,Brken Lines shows sparks o hopeand pas-

sionignitingeven insuering souls,as theynavigatel ie

and thesurprises thatcomewith it.

CAstro Tue, Jul 28 9:45 PM BROK28CCIneArts Mon, Aug 3 6:15 PM BROK03TrodA Wed, Aug 5 8:45 PM BROK05B

a d a MM Mr Ui sa, 2009, 99 i.

Pc by eve 17 mIn.

Whennice Jewish girlBeth (RoseByrne) moves into a new

apartment,the rereshinglyliteral, brainyguy nextdoor,

Adam(Hugh Dancy),is probablynot whather upper-

middle-class Jewish mom(Amy Irving) and dad (PeterGal-

lagher) had inmind orher. Butcupids arrow strikes these

two dierentdenizens o Gothamhard;they havemajor

chemistryand withinminutes wend ourselves rootingor

themto overcomedierences inculture and communica-

tionstyles. Preceded byNatalie Portmans directorialdebut,

Eve,starring BenGazzara and LaurenBacall.

CAstro Sat, Jul 25 6:45 PM ADAM25C

a C nfric virj Uuguay, Agia, 2008, 87 i.

Pc by ba It 12 mIn.

Atthirteen, Raa Bregmanis balanced onthe brinko

youths innocenceand theexpectations o adulthood

namely,a youngmans rstkiss.Meanwhile, his amily

structureis shitingand his pimples arefaringout o

control.Acn is a charminglymelancholic lookback atthe

tinybattles o youth and thejoys thatcome inbetween as

a boyawkwardlymakes his waytoward whatitmeans to

bea man.

CAstro Mon, Jul 27 4:30 PM ACNE27CCIneArts Thu, Aug 6 9:15 PM ACNE06TrAFAel Sun, Aug 9 6:00 PM ACNE09R

LIVE MUSIC EVENT

R o C k I N PU PPE T M a yh E M !

LIVE aT CELLSPaCE

PU PPE T F o L k R E V I V a L b a N d

aMERICaN dEbUT!

Friday, July31, 9:30pm

Doors openat9pm

CELLspace

2050 BryantSt. (between18th/19th Sts.),SanFrancisco

$10/$9 Members (All-Festival Pass notvalid orthis

event)

21and over,Co-presented byReboot

TicketcodeROCK31AWhenthe playulness o theMuppets comes together

with thehedonistic machismo o aded rockdemigods

like Spinal Tap,mixed with thecrudehumoroSuth

Park and a dash o theinventiveness oFlight the

Cnchrds...well,you justmight end up with something

likethePuppetFolkRevivalBand,makingtheirAmeri-

candebut atSFJFF with a livemusicalperormanceand

clip show atSan Franciscos CELLspace.

AriPeer, Micha Dumanand AmiWieselthe

PuppetFolk RevivalBand puppetmaster-musicians

bringtheir bizarrelyunique and bitinglyunny livemusi-

calpuppet actto SanFrancisco ora nighto rockin

music,riotous clips and surerepuppetmayhem.

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2008, 99i.

Pc by M a M a , L Ch a IM ! (t o LIfe !) 5 mIn.

In1949, Sovietdeportees creep eastward into oblivion.For

Sasha,a Jewish boy,salvationcomes through anastonishing

rubric o chance,deanceand thelove o a Muslimrailroad

workerwho becomes his adopted grandather.Joining a

makeshitamily o politicaloutcasts,Sasha has a chance

to winhis parents reedomwhenM oscow announces a

childrens contestcelebratingStalins 70th birthday.

rodA Sun, Aug 2 7:15 PM GIFT02BCIneArts Wed, Aug 5 6:15 PM GIFT05TrAFAel Sat, Aug 8 4:00 PM GIFT08RJCCsF Sun, Aug 9 5:30 PM GIFT09J

e Mp t y ne S tdil brm Agia, spai, 2008, 91 i.

Middle-aged playwrightLeonardo Vindel(the marvelous

OscarMartnez) descends into a world whereantasyand

realityinterlace. Facingthecollapse o his marriageto the

gorgeous Martha (Pedro AlmodvarstarCecilia Roth),Vin-

delpeoples his world with a stageulo imagined characters

and a May-Decemberextramarital aair.Noted Argentine

directorDaniel Burmantakes us ona psychic journeyrom

thebustle o Buenos Aires to thetimeless Dead Sea.

rodA Sun, Aug 2 9:30 PM EMPT02BCIneArts Thu, Aug 6 4:15 PM EMPT06TJCCsF Sun, Aug 9 7:45 PM EMPT09J

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R a C he LSim bi Fac, Ia, Bgiu, 2009, 100 i.Pc by pRRRId e 3 mIn.

In2003, ina controversialincident,22-year-old American

peaceactivistRachel Corriewas killed whileattempting to

stop anIsraeli militarybulldozer romdemolishing homes

inGaza. Rachel is a dispassionatebut devastatingessay

investigatingthecircumstances o herdeathincludingas-

toundingeyewitness testimonyrom activists,soldiers,army

spokespersons and physicians,as well as insights rom

Corries parents,mentors and diaries. CindyCorrie, Rachels

mother,inpersonat the Castro.

CAstro Sat, Jul 25 1:30 PM RACH25CrodA Tue, Aug 4 6:30 PM RACH04B

Me na C he M & fR e dor t Gay, Ia, 2007, 90 i.

MeetMenachem and Fred,brothers who themselves have

onlyjust re-metas adults.Sinceseparatingas children

duringthe Holocaust,theyvebecome verydierent men,

with dierentnationalities and religious orientations.Each

has avoided his memories,and each is nallyorcedbyan

old letterand a regretted commitmentto thelmmakers

to conronthistory. Wetravel with themto Germanyand

Franceon anemotionaltouro theirpast.

CAstro Mon, Jul 27 2:15 PM FREECIneArts Thu, Aug 6 2:00 PM MENA06T

Ma R y a nd Ma xam elli Auaia, 2008, 92 i.

Oscar-winninganimatorAdam Elliots bittersweetcomic

ableo anunlikelyyet extraordinaryriendship between

a middle-aged,obeseNew York Jew with Aspergers

syndromeand his eight-year-old penpalrom Australia.

Broughtto lieby thebravura voiceworko Philip Seymour

Homanand ToniCollette, MaryandMaxis a poignanttale

o a riendship betweenoddballs attheir wits end with the

world,but atpeace with each other.

CAstro Sat, Jul 25 9:45 PM MARY25CrodA Tue, Aug 4 9:15 PM MARY04BrAFAel Sat, Aug 8 8:45 PM MARY08R

MaaLeh fILM SChooL20 th a nnI v e R S a R y

ta uig i: 90 i.

TheMaaleh Schoolo Television,Film and theArts is the

onlylm schoolo its kind inthe world.SFJFF celebrates

20 years o the Jerusalem-based academy,which trains

lmmakers to producework inspired bytheir Jewish

heritage,osteringa uniqueconnectionbetween theworld

o media and Jewish culture.Fourtop-notch shortl ms will

bepresented. Theschools director,Neta Ariel,will beat the

Castro screening.

CAstro Sun, Jul 26 11:30 AM MAAL26CCIneArts Mon, Aug 3 3:45 PM MAAL03TrodA Wed, Aug 5 12:00 PM MAAL05B

L oS t I S L a nd SRs Li Ia, 2008, 103 i.

Israels 2008 box ocehit ocuses ontheLevis, a large,

un-lovingamilyat times quirky,butmostly typical.As

thenaive days o theearly1980s wane,theyencounter

concurrenttragedies:a caraccidentthat leaves theather

wheelchairbound and theuneasydistancingo once-

inseparabletwins.When oneo thesons joins a commando

unitghting inthe nationallypolarizing warwith Lebanon,

theLevis personalstruggles becomeindeliblyintertwined

with Israels own.

CAstro Tue, Jul 28 1:00 PM LOST28CrodA Mon, Aug 3 9:00 PM LOST03BCIneArts Wed, Aug 5 8:45 PM LOST05T

the taLe of nICoLaI & the Lawof R e t uR n

di o Ia, 2008, 54 i.Pc by h o M e 18 mIn.

Israelilmmaker David Oekuses theactual persons in-

volved to tellthestory o a Romanianimmigrants transition

instatus romexploited guestworker to ullcitizenship or

himand his Christianamilyater herediscovers his Jewish

roots.The documentarycheekilyunderscores its unsettling

contradictions byunolding likea traditionalJewish able,

whilebroaching serious questions aboutthe natureo Israel

as a Jewish stateand a democracy.

CAstro Sat, Jul 25 11:45 AM TALE25CrodA Mon, Aug 3 2:00 PM FREECIneArts Wed, Aug 5 4:30 PM TALE05T

S k I nhr Smism nha, 2008, 85 i.

Frankie,the sono a Holocaustsurvivor,becomes increas-

inglyunhinged as his mothers cancerworsens.Finding

himsel reluctantlytied up with a group o neo-Naziyouth,

hewages a desperatebattle orrespect and empower-

ment,leading to anunorgivable crime.Hanro Smitsmans

grippingrst eatureprovides a scarilyrealistic view into

Frankies motives and reuses to letanyoneeventhe

viewero thehook.

CAstro Wed, Jul 29 10:15 PM SKIN29CrodA Tue, Aug 4 4:30 PM SKIN04BrAFAel Sun, Aug 9 2:00 PM SKIN09R

S hout I nG fI R e : S t oR I e S fR oMthe edGe of fRee SpeeCh

Liz Grs Ui sa, 2009, 80 i.Pc by575 CaStRo St . 7 mIn.

This vitaland unexpectedlypersonalexploration o the

rightto ree speech eatures prominentvoices includingthe

lmmakers ather,Martin Garbus,who discusses his di-

cultdecisionas a youngJewish ACLUattorney to deend

therights o AmericanNazis inSkokie, Illinois.Coolheaded

and utterlyengaging, thelm traces theembattled history

o reeexpressionin theU.S., with instructiveemphasis on

post-9/11cases.

CAstro Thu, Jul 30 1:00 PM SHOU30CrodA Sat, Aug 1 4:15 PM SHOU01BCIneArts Tue, Aug 4 4:00 PM SHOU04T

Seven MInuteS In heavenomri Gi Ia, 2008, 94 i.

Rangingrom thehyperrealistic to theantastical, this

powerulneo-noir mysteryollows Galia,a youngIsraeli

who struggles to rememberthe terroristbus bombing

thattook herboyriends lie,leaving herbodyand her

psycheseverelyscarred.An unamiliarnecklace, a patient

and handsomestranger named Boaz (Eldad Fribas) and the

newound knowledgethatshe was pronounced dead or

sevenminutes allmighthelp her unlockthekeyto herpast.

CAstro Mon, Jul 27 9:00 PM SEVE27CCIneArts Sat, Aug 1 9:30 PM SEVE01TrodA Wed, Aug 5 4:00 PM SEVE05BrAFAel Sun, Aug 9 8:15 PM SEVE09R

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Z I on & hI S b R ot he Rer Mr Ia, 2009, 84 i.

EranMeravs knockoutrsteature oers a resh,razor-

sharp perspectiveon theraught relationship between

brothers.Fourteen-year-old Zionand his olderbrother

Meirare thickas thievesthatis,when theyrenot ghting.

Whenrough playleads to a tragic accident,the brothers

reactdierently and arechallenged bythornyquestions o

loyaltyand morality.Thestellar casteatures RonitElkabetz

as theirmotherand TzahiGrad as hernewest loveinterest.

EranMerav inperson inSan Francisco and Berkeley.

CAstro Thu, Jul 30 6:00 PM ZION30CrodA Sat, Aug 1 7:00 PM ZION01BCIneArts Mon, Aug 3 8:45 PM ZION03T

yoo-hoo, MRS. GoLdbeRGai kmr Ui sa, 2009, 92 i.

Shes themost amous womaninAmerica youvenever

heard o.The storyo televisionpioneerGertrude Bergis

told with humorand insightin Aviva Kempners sparkling

lmbiography.Creatorand staro theearlyTVhit The

Goldbergs,Berg combined comedyand socialcommentary,

introduced endearingJewish characters to middleAmerica

and tookontheMcCarthyblacklist.Y-H combines rare

clips with celebrityinterviews.

the yeS Men fIx the woRLda biclm, Mi b Ui sa, Fac,2009, 90 i.

Exposingcorporate greed and environmentaldegradationis

serious businessbutthatdoesnt meanyou cantbe hilari-

ous goingaboutit. Eco-pranksters Bichlbaumand Bonanno

poseas corporateexecutives,then brazenlyinltrate media

outlets and shareholdermeetings,skewering theirtargets

with satiricalstunts. Inthis screwballcomedy orthe apoc-

alypse, theYes Mentakeon Dow Chemical,Halliburton and

post-Katrina proteers.

wI L L I a M k unS t L e R :d I S t uR b I nG t he unI v e R S e

emil kslr, Sr kslr Ui sa, 2009,90i.

The1960s mostamous, rabble-rousingand radicaldeense

attorneyis puton thewitness stand byhis two daughters in

this rivetingdocumentary.For Sarah and EmilyKunstler, its

aneort to understand and reconcilewith a mano con-

tradictions who deended notonly civilrights activists,the

Chicago 7 and AmericanIndianmilitants, butalso accused

rapists,terrorists and assassins.An excitingportraito

everyrevolutionarys ideallawyer. Followedby social justice

discussionat the Castro.

CAstro Sun, Jul 26 2:00 PM WILL26CrodA Sun, Aug 2 11:15 AM WILL02B

vICtoRIa daydi bzmzgis Caaa, 2009, 82 i.Pc by t e n fo R G Ra n d pa 7 mIn.

CanadianteenagerBenSpektoris livingthedream:hegoos

around with a Dazedand Cnused casto pals,counts the

days untilBobDylan comes to townand sees signs thathis

longtimecrush mightnoticehis existence.The unoreseen

consequences o a ve-dollar loanshatter his carereelie-

styleand orcea choicebetween thesweet naiveteo youth

and thematurityo adulthood.

J e R uS a L e M C ut SLir azmr Ia, 2009, 52 i.Pc by h e RS ko vIt S a t t h e h e a Rt

o f bLa Ckn e S S 56 mIn.

Threedierent narratives o Israels 1948 waro indepen-

denceunold sideby sidethrough theimages o a British

photojournalist,a Zionistmovieproducer and a Palestin-

ianphotographer.Preceded byHerskvitsAt the Heart

Blackness ,a ascinating,visually innovativebiography

revealingthe pioneeringwork and controversiallegacy

o AmericanJewish anthropologistMelville J.Herskovits,

a toweringscholaroten credited with inventingthe eld

o Aricanstudies inthe 1920s through the50s.

rodA Thu, Aug 6 12:00 PM JERS06BJCCsF Sun, Aug 9 11:30 AM JERS09J

I a M v on hfL e RvaRIatIon on weRtheRpr frgcs Hugay, 2008, 160 i.

I AmVn Her,ound-ootage alchemistPter Forgcss

15th lminthe PrivateHungary series,is a breathtaking

usiono homemovies byHungarian TiborVon Hferson

o a Christianindustrialistather and a Jewish motherand

photos,letters and contemporaryinterviews.Von Hfer,a

bonvivant, chemist,piano-playingdilettanteand cad,was

spectatorto a historythat included theGerman invasiono

Hungary,theHol ocaustand theriseand allo Communism.

Withabrieintermission.

rodA Sat, Aug 8 1:30 PM IAMV08BJCCsF Sun, Aug 9 2:00 PM IAMV09J

a hI S t oR y of I S R a e L I C I ne MaRl njri Ia, Fac, 2009, 210 i.

Anengrossing retrospectivedocumentarycoveringthe

evolutiono Israelicinema romthe earliestdays o pre-

1948 lmmakingto thepresent-dayrenaissanceo the

Israelilm industry.Clips romclassic lms,interwoven

with testimonials romkey players and pioneers o Israeli

cinema,bring to liethe dierentways thatIsraeli artists

havecreated and changed theircinematic sel-imageas

thenationitsel evolved.Amustsee orany ano Israeli

cinema and a abulous introductionor theuninitiated. With

abrie intermission.

CIneArts Sat, Aug 1 11:45 AM HIST01TJCCsF Sat, Aug 8 11:30 AM HIST08J

he L L o Good b y eGrm Gi Fac, Ia, 2008, 99 i.Pc by S Id n e y t u Rt Le ba u M 18 mIn.

Anentertaining French comedyabout a middle-aged Jewish

coupleliving inParis whosesons marriageto a non-Jewish

girlbrings onnew challenges.They packtheir things and

moveto Tel Aviv.StarringGrard Depardieu and Fanny

Ardant,this romantic charmershows theate o onecouple

impulsivelymovingto a strangeyet amiliarland. Preceded

bySidneyTurtlebaum ,starringDerekJacobi.

CAstro Sun, Jul 26 10:00 PM HELL26CrodA Mon, Aug 3 3:35 PM HELL03BrAFAel Mon, Aug 10 6:15 PM HELL10R

he a R t of S t oneb ti kr Ui sa, 2008, 84 i.

Beore1960, predominantlyJewish Weequahic High School

inNewark, NJ,graduated someo thetop students inthe

country.By2000, theschool had devolved into a breeding

ground organg violencein oneo thenations mostdan-

gerous cities. Heart Stne is a movingportraito a bold

principalwho reaches into theschools successulpast to

givehis students a hopeuluture.

rodA Mon, Aug 3 6:30 PM HEAR03BJCCsF Sat, Aug 8 4:35 PM HEAR08J

the GoLdbeRGSGrr brg Ui sa, 1949-56, 120 i. (4x30)

The Goldbergs,a brilliant show created byand starringGer-

trudeBerg, premiered onradio in1929 and onTV in1949.

GertrudeBerg was exceptionalas theJewish motherMolly

Goldberg,who dispensed adviceand a wholelot o common

sense;shereceived therstBestActress Emmyorherpor-

trayalo thelovable,buxom baleboste romtheBronx.We

willbe screeningour archivalepisodes inone program.

CAstro Tue, Jul 28 3:30 PM GOLD28CCIneArts Sun, Aug 2 12:30 PM GOLD02TrodA Tue, Aug 4 2:00 PM GOLD04B

CAstro Mon, Jul 27 7:00 PM VICT27CCIneArts Tue, Aug 4 8:30 PM VICT04TrodA Sat, Aug 8 9:45 PM VICT08BrAFAel Mon, Aug 10 8:50 PM VICT10R

CAstro Sun, Jul 26 5:05 PM YESM26CCIneArts Sun, Aug 2 9:00 PM YESM02TrodA Wed, Aug 5 6:30 PM YESM05BrAFAel Sun, Aug 9 12:00 PM YESM09R

CAstro Tue, Jul 28 6:30 PM YOOH28CrodA Sat, Aug 1 12:00 PM YOOH01BCIneArts Sun, Aug 2 3:00 PM YOOH02TrAFAel Sat, Aug 8 2:00 PM YOOH08R

CAstroCIneArtrodArAFAel

op e nI nG nI Ght

CLoS InG nIGht C enteR pIeC e fI LM

kri al Fac, tuiia, 2008, 100 i.,Aabic, Fch, Gaw/ eg. ubi

pricil Cs: Kai Abu, lizzi Bch,najib oughii, oyp Bva

KarinAlbou (LaPetite Jerusalem,SFJFF 2006) explores Jewish and Arabculture and emalesexualityin herbold and

exquisitesecond eature.In Nazi-occupied Tunis,two teenagegirlriends,Muslim Nourand Jewish Myriam,clingto their

lielongbond. Outsidethe intimateemale quarters o homeand hammam,the world shared byJews and Arabs is splitapart

byGerman promises o Arabl iberation.When thepropaganda seeps through thegender wall,Myriam and hermother areno

longersae, and a hastyweddingmust bearranged. Butmarriage, likeriendship,becomes a testo ethics and courage.

Closing Night at the Castro: Join us for pre-film goodies, unique festivities, live music on the Mighty

Wurlitzer and an on-stage conversation with director Karin Albou on July 30.

CAstro Thu, Jul 30 8:30 PM WEDD30C rodA Sat, Aug 1 9:30 PM WEDD01B

C Rll Auaia, 2008, 103 i.c, egih

pricil Cs: dai Caazaii,Kiha Ca-Hugh, ti C

EstherBlueburger has thickglasses,parents who dontunderstand her,a petduck and no riends atherhoity-toity school

whereher classmates alllook identical.Sheand hertwin brotherare approachingtheirbar/b atmitzvah, a riteo passage

thatcoincides with Esthers innerturmoil.On theroad to greatersel-awareness,Esther encounters kissing,sex, class di-

erences,questions o loyaltyand anindestructible urgeto behersel. CathyRandalls wacky/serious coming-o-agecomedy

mines thephenomenono good girls goingbadorrather, ndingthemselvesand sports sunlit,color-drenched produc-

tiondesign and peerless actingby DanielleCatanzariti, Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider ) and ToniCollette (Little Miss

Sunshine, MaryandMax). (Note:This lm contains some sexual content.)

Join us July 23 from 6:00-7:30pm for a fabulous pre-film Opening Night Bash. See reverse for details.

BAsH Thu, Jul 23 6:00 PM OPEN23CCAstro ( ilm only) Thu, Jul 23 8:00 PM HEYH23CCIneArts Tue, Aug 4 6:15 PM HEYH04T

rodA Thu, Aug 6 6:45 PM HEYH06BrAFAel Sat, Aug 8 6:30 PM HEYH08R

erz tmrSr Mm

Ia, Fac, Gay, 2009,92 i., c, Hbw, Japaw/ eg. ubi

pricil Cs: dvi Bk, Izik Ch, shau AzaPc by JoShua 12 mIn.

Herzlis a 340-pound che who lives with his motherand is immersed ina culture o rigid dietregimes and tness classes.

Justas heand his seriouslyoverweightbuddies intheworking-class towno Ramle,Israel, seembeaten downby weight-

loss ailure,Herzl discovers theone placewhere atguys canberock stars:the world o sumo wrestling.An endearingand

poignantcomic tale,with echoes oThe Full Mnty,AMatterSize traces thesemens tenderand unnypath rombody

shameto bodycelebration, and romloneliness to love.A touchingmoviewith a plus-sizeheart.

Following the 7:30pm San Francisco Centerpiece screening of a Mr Siz , join us for Happy Hoursake and 15% off entire food bill, in partnership with Yelp.com. Sumi Sushi, 4243 18th Street,San Francisco.

CAstro Wed, Jul 29 7: 30 PM MATT29CCIneArts Sat, Aug 1 6:45 PM MATT01T

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FJFF.ORG866.558.4253 Inembracing theprecept that

held Jewish value,SFJFF brin

lmmakers,activists and orga

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to environmentalism,thesix

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Brides byAda Ushpiz,a captv

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which ollows KarnitGoldwas

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owntremendous grie.Please

documentarylmmakers mak

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directors Ada Ushpiz,Ibtisam

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Aviva Kempnerchronicles tales o Jewish heroismwith tenacity,skill and

endless passion.Her documentaries areartully and painstakinglyresearched;

theresults celebrate and illuminatelittle-knownstories o Jews who had

heartand chutzpah.Kempnerwas thescriptwriter,director and producero

thePeabody Awardwinningand Emmy-nominated The Lie andTimes

HankGreenberg (SFJFF 1999),a highlyentertainingdocumentaryabout the

Jewish baseballslugger.She produced and co-wrote PartisansVilna (di-

rected byJoshua Waletzky,SFJFF 1986),a documentaryon Jewish resistance

againstthe Nazis inVilna, Lithuania.Hernewest documentary,Y-H,

Mrs. Gldberg,is theeye-opening storyo televisionpioneerGertr udeBerg,

thecreatorand staroThe Goldbergs,a popular radio show (which started

in1929) thatbecame televisions rstcharacter-drivensitcom in1949.Aviva

Kempnerwill accepther award ollowingthe SanFrancisco screeningoY-

H, Mrs. Gldberg on Tuesday, July28at the CastrTheatre.

avIva keMpneR

2009 SaN FRaNCISCo jEWISh FILM FESTIVaL

FREEdoM oF ExPRESSIoN aWaRd

Jewish-themed animationhas landed centerstage with therecentsuccess o

AriFolmans multi-award-winningWaltz with Bashir ,Israels rstanimated

eature,and Sundanceopener MaryandMaxromAustralia. Parto this

years ocus onanimation, MaryandMax,the creationo Oscar-winninglm-

makerAdam Elliot,is a bittersweetcomic taleo anunlikely yetextraordinary

riendship betweena middle-aged,obeseNew York Jew with Aspergers

syndromeand his eight-year-old Australianpen pal,brought to liebybravura

voiceperormances byPhilip SeymourHoman and ToniCollette.

Prestigious Israelischools such as theBezalel Academyo Artand

DesigninJerusalemand MinsharSchoolo theArts inTelAvivareproducing

manyo theworlds mosttalented up-and-cominganimators,some o whomareeatured inthe SanFrancisco Jewish FilmFestivals rst-everanimated

shorts program, Jewtns,a collectiono 15 lms romIsrael and theUnited

States.

anIMatIonS Po T L I G h T o N

S Po T L I G h T o N

8/8/2019 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 2009 Guide

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