EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
Connect Magazine
Houston Jewish Film Festival MARCH 3-18, 2018
Celebrating 14 Years of the Best Jewish and Israeli Films
ITZHAK
erjcchouston.org/filmfest
Houston Jewish Film Festival | At a Glance COMEDY
DRAMA
SHORT FILMS
7 | Let Yourself Go
5 | Menashe
5 | A Short Film with Shabbatify
8 | Women’s Night: The Wedding Plan
5 | Norman
14 | Afternoon of Shorts
8 & 13 | Humor Me
6 | Scaffolding
9 | The Last Band in Lebanon
7 | The Children of Chance
11 | Chair’s Choice: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
7 | An Act of Defiance
13 | Love is Thicker than Water 15 | Closing Night: Keep the Change
DOCUMENTARY 6 | Itzhak 9 | Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me 10 | Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Indian Cinema
THRILLER 4 | Opening Night: Shelter
9 | Riphagen
10 | A Quiet Heart
10 | The Testament
12 | Winter Hunt
11 | Bye Bye Germany 12 | Saving Neta
16 | HJFF Calendar of Events
GET CULTURED: FOR 20s & 30s
17 | Committee Members and Staff 17 | Sponsors and Community Partners
14 | Short Film Night
18 | Coming Up at the J
13 | House of Z
TICKET INFORMATION Don’t miss out! Films sell out. Buy individual tickets early to guarantee a seat. EARLY ARRIVAL FESTIVAL PASS INDIVIDUAL Patrons of the Arts and Festival Pass holders $80 Member | $110 Public must arrive 15 minutes prior to show-time to TICKETS Discount available for Students and Seniors 60+ See page 16 for individual ticket prices.
*Festival and Patron Passes provide entry for films only at the J and MATCH.
RESERVED SEATING NIGHTS
guarantee admission. Pass holders arriving less than 15 minutes prior to showtime cannot be guaranteed a seat, even with a pass.
RUSH TICKETS
On opening and closing nights, Itzhak, The Wedding Plan, and Dr. Strangelove, all tickets will be reserved seating. Buy your ticket early to ensure a seat. PATRONS OF THE ARTS: Reservations required. Contact jweil@erjcchouston.org or call 713.551.7219 FESTIVAL PASS HOLDERS: Reservations required. Contact jross@erjcchouston.org or call 713.551.7215
Last-minute tickets, known as rush tickets, may become available for purchase just before showtime when advance tickets have sold out. A rush line will form outside the venue one hour before showtime. Approximately five minutes prior to the screening, empty seats are counted and will be sold on a firstcome, first-served basis to those in line.
To purchase tickets and passes, visit erjcchouston.org/filmfest
VENUES Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston
5601 South Braeswood Houston, TX 77096 713.729.3200 erjcchouston.org/filmfest
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The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston 1001 Bissonnet Street Houston, TX 77005 713.639.7515 mfah.org/films
Holocaust Museum Houston Morgan Family Center (Temporary Location)
9220 Kirby Drive, Suite 100 Houston, TX 77054 713.527.1604 hmh.org
Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH) 3400 Main Street Houston, TX 77002 713.521.4533 matchouston.org
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR When the Kaplan Theatre went dark on Closing Night of the 13th Houston Jewish Film Festival last year, planning for the upcoming festival began. The critiques were studied, the budget appraised, the film committee shuffled, and newly-released films were researched, screened and reviewed. Along the way, phone calls were placed to distributors, producers, agents, managers and venue operators. Grant submissions and partnership requests were made. Overall, more than 100 films (not counting short films) were under consideration for the 14th HJFF. Within these pages are synopses of the best of the best—25 in all—and the stories they tell span the globe and the human experience.
EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
Houston Jewish Film Festival Endowment for the Future
Our opening night film, Shelter, is a thriller-cumdrama of a Mossad agent guarding a Lebanese informer. Itzhak explores the life, musicianship and Judaism of the world’s most accomplished violinist— and Maestro Perlman will be attending and participating in a post-screening Q&A! Women’s Night features the engaging The Wedding Plan, where our heroine relies on the Almighty to find her bashert. Humor Me’s Elliot Gould and Norman’s Richard Gere leave us laughing. Bye Bye Germany recounts the story of a Holocaust survivor-turned-salesman/hustler. House of Z traces the rise, fall and redemption of fashion wunderkind Zac Posen. Keep the Change, our closing night film, is a charming romantic comedy featuring actors on the autism spectrum. As festival chair, I have the privilege of selecting a “Chair’s Choice” film. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, a Cold War political satire, enjoys real significance these days. There is something for everyone. Our year of preparation is fodder for a movie itself. A flood. A wrecked facility. Displacement. The J and its staff focused first on our neighbors and community and then on its mission. Restoration. Return. And…scene! Through it all, our film committee diligently did its work to bring you the best. Special thanks to Sam Stolbun and Dr. Alana Spiwak for hosting the committee post-Harvey for six consecutive weeks in their home theater. My Vice-Chair, Nada Chandler, balanced my ebullience with calm. Amy Rahmani, our HJFF coordinator, executed our vision with aplomb. My gratitude to both of you. The Houston Jewish Film Festival would not be possible but for the devotion and generosity of many people. One of my goals this year is to place the festival on better financial footing…we’re on our way. I’m pleased to announce the establishment of the Houston Jewish Film Festival Endowment for the Future. The endowment ensures the festival’s perpetuity so that it thrives to fulfill its mission— presenting Jewish and Israeli films and reflecting past, present, and future themes of Jewish life worldwide. Doreen and Basil Joffe and Sharon and Arnold Kagan made their philanthropic investment with founding gifts. Applause! To our Patrons of the Arts, underwriters and community sponsors—thank you for your continued support. Don’t forget to reserve your seats…and I’ll see you at the movies!
Leah Gross Houston Jewish Film Festival Chair 33
OPENING NIGHT SHELTER
Foreign language title: Mistor
Saturday, March 3 | 8:00 PM Monday, March 12 | 6:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Opening Night Festivities begin at 7:00 PM.
DIRECTED BY ERAN RIKLIS Israel/Germany/France 2018, 93 min LANGUAGE English, Hebrew and Arabic with English Subtitles GENRE
What happens when two women are trapped in a safe house where nothing is Thriller safe and no one is trusted? From the acclaimed director of The Lemon Tree (HJFF 2009) and A Borrowed Identity (HJFF 2015), Shelter tells the story of a female Mossad agent protecting a female Lebanese informant in a safe house in Hamburg. An intimacy develops between the two women and their relationship is exposed to the threat of terror. In this dance of deception, beliefs are questioned and choices are made. Their fate takes a surprising turn in this suspense-laden, elegant neo-noir. This is a reserved seating night. See page 2 for details.
Sponsored by June and Leonard Goldberg 4
FAMILY EVENT
A SHORT WITH SHABBATIFY
ACROSS THE LINE
Saturday, March 3 | 5:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Join other parents of elementary-age kids for a fun-filled Shabbat afternoon. Kids will jump and tumble in gymnastics while parents enjoy a short film and discussion. We will reunite as a family to enjoy some snacks and Havdalah under the stars. Hananel, an Israeli Jewish settler, is hurrying home for Shabbat. An unexpected encounter with Mundir, a troubled Palestinian hitchhiker, leads them both on a series of adventures that eventually teach them a surprising lesson in communication, friendship, and love.
DIRECTED BY NADAV SHLOMO GILADI Israel, 2017, 29 min
MENASHE
NORMAN
Sunday, March 4 | 1:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Menashe, an ultra-orthodox Jew, widower, father of a young son, and bungling grocery store clerk fights to retain custody of his son Rieven. Menashe’s rabbi, in accordance with the practices of the community, thinks children should not be raised without a mother and urges Menashe to remarry. Menashe, however, is averse to taking a new bride. The rabbi awards custody of Rieven to Menashe’s strict, self-righteous brother-in-law. Father and son are drawn to each other in this touching portrait of a man tethered by the mores of his world. Sponsored by Dana Yudovich and Kenneth Katz & Denise and Martin Yudovich DIRECTED BY JOSHUA Z. WEINSTEIN Israel/USA, 2017, 81 min
LANGUAGE Yiddish with English subtitles
LANGUAGE Hebrew, Arabic with English Subtitles
GENRE Drama
GENRE Short Drama
Enjoy a Passover Tasting by HEB Buffalo Market from 12 to 4 PM.
Sunday, March 4 | 4:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Norman is a “macher,” a fixer, a huckster, a striver and a dreamer in the best Jewish literary tradition. He is ingratiating and irritating; he has lots of close friends in New York and Tel Aviv; he’d be happy to make an introduction. Eventually, Norman meets an Israeli politician in New York. When the politician is elected Prime Minister, Norman, craving recognition more than anything else, wonders if the new prime minister will remember him. Richard Gere heads the stellar cast. Patron Sponsors: Ellen and Daniel Trachtenberg DIRECTED BY LANGUAGE JOSEPH CEDAR English and Hebrew USA/Israel, 2016, 117 min with English subtitles
GENRE Drama
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SCAFFOLDING Foreign language title: Pigumim
Sunday, March 4 | 7:30 PM Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston Winner of best feature film at the Jerusalem Film Festival, Scaffolding demonstrates how a compassionate teacher affects the life of an impulsive and semi-literate 17-year-old. Asher, placed in his high school’s remedial class, has no interest in either books or study. He works for his sometimes loving, often abusive father in a scaffolding business. Directed by Matan Yair, himself a former teacher, and starring Asher Lax, Yair’s real former student as the defiant lead, the film examines some of the grittier sides of Israeli life. Patron Sponsors: Lynn and Armand Shapiro Co-sponsored by Suzy and Jack Schaffer
DIRECTED BY MATAN YAIR Israel/Poland, 2017, 93 min
LANGUAGE Hebrew with English subtitles
GENRE Drama
ITZHAK
Itzhak Perlman in Attendance for Post-Film Q&A
Monday, March 5 | 7:30 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Itzhak presents the extraordinary story of the life and music of Itzhak Perlman, widely considered one of the greatest living violinists. This revealing documentary explores the ways in which Perlman’s passion for music allowed him to find a platform for personal expression despite challenging circumstances. Through Itzhak Perlman, we’re able to see an artist at work, a modern Jewish family embracing its heritage and how the legacy of both the Jewish people and the violin are knitted together in one remarkable human being. This is a reserved seating night. See page 2 for details.
Mr. and Mrs. Perlman’s visit is underwritten by the Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan Founders Fund 6
DIRECTED BY ALISON CHERNICK USA/Israel, 80 min LANGUAGE English GENRE Documentary
THE CHILDREN OF CHANCE* Foreign language title: Les Enfants de la Chance
Tuesday, March 6 | 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM Holocaust Museum Houston A broken leg is a blessing in disguise for Maurice Gutman, a young Jewish boy who is taken away by ambulance just as the French police are rounding up the Jews of Paris. The fracture reveals tuberculosis, and Maurice is sheltered in a children’s hospital ward in the French countryside. As the war intensifies, the chief physician and senior nurse resort to surreptitious measures to insure the safety of Maurice and the other Jewish patients. Based on a true story, this tender coming-of-age drama is a testament to the resilience and bravery of youth. DIRECTED BY MALIK CHIBANE France, 2016, 95 min
LANGUAGE French with English subtitles
LET YOURSELF GO Foreign language title: Lasciati Andare
Wednesday, March 7 | 6:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Elia, an out of shape Jewish psychoanalyst, lives next door to his wife from whom he is separated. Separated or not, she still does Elia’s laundry. Elia’s doctor tells him he needs to get in shape; he joins a gym where he meets Claudia, a wacky personal trainer who attracts attention… and chaos. Let Yourself Go follows the adventures of the two, Elia’s wife and her boyfriend, Claudia’s uncontrollable son and her psycho prisoner boyfriend in this screwball Italian comedy. DIRECTED BY FRANCESCO AMATO Italy, 2017, 98 min LANGUAGE Italian with English subtitles
GENRE Drama
AN ACT OF DEFIANCE Wednesday, March 7 | 8:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC 1963, South Africa. Ten men – some black, some Jewish – are arrested for conspiring to commit sabotage against the Apartheid state and its government. Led by fellow defendant Nelson Mandela and represented by courageous lawyer Bram Fischer, the group members plead not guilty and shift the attention instead to the corrupt and unjust political system. This powerful and captivating true story captures a seminal moment in the fight against racism and explores the role of South African Jews in consigning Apartheid to history. Patron Sponsors: Doreen and Basil Joffe Sponsored by Jill and Nat Levy DIRECTED BY JEAN VAN DE VELDE Netherlands/South Africa, 2018, 124 min
GENRE Comedy
LANGUAGE English, Afrikaans with English subtitles
GENRE Drama
*Festival and Patron Passes are not accepted.
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WOMEN’S NIGHT
Join us as the J celebrates women in the month of March! Make it dinner and a movie with your friends! Bring your dinner or buy from Laykie’s Gourmet Café at the J, and HEB Buffalo Market will provide the wine. Food may be pre-ordered from the café! • Salmon on garden salad with quinoa and roasted vegetables • Grilled chicken on garden salad with quinoa and roasted vegetables Both options are $15 and should be ordered in advance with Laykie by email at laykiesgourmet@yahoo.com or by text at 713.283.4030.
RSVP to reserve a table by Monday, March 5 to jross@erjcchouston.org or call 713.551.7215. Film tickets must be reserved by Patron and Series Pass holders or purchased in advance. This is a reserved seating night. See page 2 for details.
THE WEDDING PLAN Foreign language title: Laavor et Hakir
Thursday, March 8 | 7:30 PM, Dinner | 6:30 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
DIRECTED BY RAMA BURSHTEIN Israel, 2016, 110 min
LANGUAGE Hebrew with English subtitles
GENRE Comedy
Michal, 32, is blindsided by her fiancé’s decision to call off their wedding with only a month’s notice. Unwilling to return to lonely single life, Michal puts her trust in fate and the Almighty and continues with her wedding plans, believing Mr. Right will appear by her chosen date. She enlists the help of two matchmakers as her skeptical mother and sister look on with trepidation. Trailblazing writer-director Rama Burshtein (Fill the Void) returns to the cloistered Orthodox community she knows intimately with this poignant comedy.
Underwritten by The Maurice Amado Foundation Sponsored by Women Supporting Women
HUMOR ME
Friday, March 9 | 1:00 PM Saturday, March 17 | 6:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC This heartfelt father-son comedy follows a struggling playwright who is forced to move in with his joke-telling dad in a New Jersey retirement community. He learns, as his father often says, “life’s going to happen, whether you smile or not.” Featuring Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Concords), Elliott Gould (Ocean’s Eleven), and Maria Dizzia (Orange is the New Black), Humor Me is Sam Hoffman’s directorial debut. The film is inspired by his website Old Jews Telling Jokes, which also sparked an off-Broadway play, a bestselling book (JBAF 2010) and a lecture series. Patron Sponsors: Susan and David Askanase 8
DIRECTED BY SAM HOFFMAN USA, 2017, 93 min
Lunch and Movie for Adults 60+
LANGUAGE English
$9 Member | $14 Public Price includes film and lunch
GENRE Comedy
RSVP REQUIRED by Wednesday, March 7 to Esther Bethke | 713.595.8186
Friday, March 9 | 12:00 PM
SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME* Saturday, March 10 | 7:30 PM The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Interactive Skype conversation with Director Sam Pollard following film Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990) was a multi-talented performer who didn’t shy away from controversy. A uniquely gifted entertainer, his first screen role was at the age of 7. After serving in the Army in World War II, his career took off. He famously became a member of the Rat Pack in the 1950s, and was the most public black person of his era to convert to Judaism. Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Sam Pollard combines interviews, memorable performances and plentiful commentary from Sammy himself to create a fascinating portrait of a complex man. LANGUAGE English
GENRE Documentary
Photo by Verd Adir
DIRECTED BY SAM POLLARD USA, 2017, 100 min
THE LAST BAND IN LEBANON
RIPHAGEN
Sunday, March 11 | 11:00 AM
Sunday, March 11 | 2:00 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC A massive box-office hit in Israel, this laugh-out-loud army-buddy movie combines screwball comedy, romance and music. Three bumbling Israeli reserve soldiers, who are members of a military rock band, try to find their way to safety after getting left behind enemy lines in Hezbollah territory. For Shlomi, Assaf, and Kobi, their treacherous journey demands banding together and setting aside their own complicated history to make it home. Set against the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, the action—and bullets—fly fast and furious. Patron Sponsors: Esther and Gary Polland DIRECTED BY ITZIK KRICHELI & BEN BACHAR Israel, 2016, 99 min LANGUAGE Hebrew, Arabic with English subtitles
GENRE Comedy
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC As a Nazi collaborator and con artist, Dries Riphagen was tasked with tracking down Jews in hiding and confiscating their valuables. Using blackmail to extort small fortunes in jewels, property and currency, Riphagen would later betray the location of Jewish families and turn them over to the Germans. Only Jan van Liempd, a young policeman secretly aligned with the Resistance, sees through the scheme. Van Liempd’s determination to bring the war criminal to justice develops into a deadly cat-and-mouse game. DIRECTED BY PIETER KUIJPERS Netherlands, 2016, 131 min
LANGUAGE Dutch, English, German with English subtitles
GENRE Drama
*Festival and Patron Passes are not accepted.
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SHALOM BOLLYWOOD: *
THE UNTOLD STORY OF INDIAN CINEMA
Sunday, March 11 | 5:00 PM
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston This documentary reveals the role of India’s Jewish community in establishing the world’s largest film industry. In the early 20th century it was taboo for Hindu and Islamic women to perform on screen: female roles were portrayed by Jews. Richly illustrated with lively excerpts tracing the development of Indian cinema, the film profiles silent era star Sulochana (Ruby Myers), 1930s party queen Miss Rose (Rose Ezra), Pramila (Esther Abraham), and saucy vamp Nadira (Farhat Ezekiel). The film also features current Bollywood stars commenting on the legacy of these mega-stars on their industry. VISIT THE EXHIBITION!
Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India on view at the MFAH from March 4–August 19
DIRECTED BY DANNY BEN-MOSHE Australia/India, 2017, 80 min LANGUAGE English
GENRE Documentary
A QUIET HEART * Foreign language title: Lev Shaket Meod
Sunday, March 11 | 7:00 PM The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston A psychological thriller exploring the dangers of intolerance between conservative and liberal Israelis. Secular Naomi (Ania Bukstein, Game of Thrones) is a concert pianist who moves from Tel Aviv to a housing project in Jerusalem where most of her neighbors are ultra-Orthodox Jews. While Naomi is not welcome by the residents, she befriends a boy pianist, a woman activist, and a monk who teaches her to play the organ. Increasingly victimized, she continues to assert herself and uncovers mysteries about her apartment’s former tenant. DIRECTED BY EITAN ANNER Israel, 2016, 92 min
LANGUAGE Hebrew, English, Italian with English subtitles
GENRE Thriller
THE TESTAMENT Foreign language title: Haedut
Monday, March 12 | 8:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Yoel, an Israeli historian and Orthodox Jew, searches to uncover the truth about a massacre of Jews during the latter days of WWII. With neither witnesses nor knowledge of the location of their mass grave, Yoel’s task is difficult. During his search, however, he discovers his mother’s classified testimony and learns that she is not the woman whom he thought she was. Yoel recognizes he must grapple with the dichotomy between his identity and the truth. Patron Sponsors: Joe Epstein and Rene Shapiro
DIRECTED BY AMICHAI GREENBERG Israel/Austria, 2017, 96 min
LANGUAGE Hebrew with English subtitles
GENRE Drama
*Festival and Patron Passes are not accepted.
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CHAIR’S CHOICE
Join us for Dr. Strangelove, a favorite of our Film Chair, Leah Gross.
DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB Tuesday, March 13 | 7:30 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC This landmark film, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick, satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict. Fanatical U.S. general Jack D. Ripper unilaterally launches a nuclear attack on Russia during the Cold War; the President (Peter Sellers) and his advisors, Nazi scientist Dr. Strangelove (Peter Sellers) and General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) endeavor to recall the bombers to prevent nuclear holocaust. The screenplay was loosely based on Peter George’s novel Red Alert. This is a reserved seating night. See page 2 for details.
Sponsored by Leah and Jon Gross. Co-sponsored by Debby and John Dreyfus and Kathy Dreyfus in honor of Leah Gross DIRECTED BY STANLEY KUBRICK USA, 1964, 95 min
LANGUAGE English
GENRE Comedy
Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH)
Screenings: Sunday, March 4 & Wednesday, March 14
BYE BYE GERMANY
Foreign language title: Es war einmal in Deutschland
Wednesday, March 14 | 7:30 PM Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston At the end of WWII, approximately 4,000 survivors decided to remain in Germany. Among them is David Bermann, who reopens his family’s seized linen business despite the fact that the Americans deny him an operations license because he is suspected of being a Nazi collaborator. Nevertheless, Bermann gathers a group of Jewish salesmen to peddle his linens door to door to German customers. This sly humorous dramedy addresses the ways in which a sense of absurdity is vital to rebirth and redemption. Patron Sponsors: Joanne and Bruce Levy DIRECTED BY SAM GARBARSKI Germany/Luxembourg/ Belgium, 2017, 101 min
LANGUAGE German with English subtitles
GENRE Drama
The MATCH (formerly the Independent Arts Collaborative/IAC) is a new community arts complex that provides a centralized home base in Midtown for a broad spectrum of Houston’s leading and emerging arts and cultural organizations. LOCATION MATCH is located at 3400 Main Street, across the street from the Ensemble/HCC Metro Rail Station and halfway between Houston’s Theater District and the Museum District. PARKING Mid-Main Parking Garage at 3505 Travis St. is directly to the South across Holman and open 24 hours. Parking can be paid by credit card or cash. Visit matchouston.org for more parking details. 11
WINTER HUNT
Thursday, March 15 | 6:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
DIRECTED BY ASTRID SCHULT Germany, 2017, 74 min
LANGUAGE German with English subtitles
Anselm Rossberg, a former Auschwitz guard, lives with his daughter Maria in their secluded family mansion. Lena, claiming her car has broken down, appears on the mansion’s doorstep seeking assistance. The disabled car is a ruse; Lena is pursuing Rossberg. While the pursued and his daughter deny his past, Lena is determined to obtain a confession—and is confronted with a moral dilemma she never anticipated in this tense, atmospheric film.
GENRE Thriller
SAVING NETA
Foreign language title: Lehatzil Et Neta
Thursday, March 15 | 8:00 PM
Photo by Lutz Reitemeier
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
DIRECTED BY NIR BERGMAN Israel, 2016, 90 min
LANGUAGE Hebrew with English subtitles
GENRE Drama
The Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Board of Trustees acknowledges and thanks
Doreen and Basil Joffe & Sharon and Arnie Kagan
Four women, four stories: Dalia, a single mother and career army officer is trying to achieve work/life balance; Ruti, a cellist, wants to have a baby with her partner who is uncertain that the time is right; Miri, who on a family picnic learns that her husband is leaving her; and Sharona, returning to her kibbutz from abroad, has to place her mentally disabled sister in an institution. Each encounters Neta, a mysterious stranger who has lost his own way but helps each woman reconnect with her family.
EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
Houston Jewish Film Festival Endowment for the Future
for their vision of being the inaugural funders of the Houston Jewish Film Festival Endowment for the Future with the creation of the Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan Founders Fund.
Their generosity ensures that generations to come will enjoy the best Jewish and Israeli films.
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MAKE IT A DATE NIGHT WITH THESE TWO COMEDIES!
Mix & mingle with live music between the films!
HUMOR ME
Friday, March 9 | 1:00 PM Saturday, March 17 | 6:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Interactive Skype conversation with Director Sam Hoffman following film This heartfelt father-son comedy follows a struggling playwright who is forced to move in with his joke-telling dad in a New Jersey retirement community. He learns, as his father often says, “life’s going to happen, whether you smile or not.” Featuring Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Concords), Elliott Gould (Ocean’s Eleven), and Maria Dizzia (Orange is the New Black), Humor Me is Sam Hoffman’s directorial debut. The film is inspired by his website Old Jews Telling Jokes, which also sparked an off-Broadway play, a bestselling book (JBAF 2010) and a lecture series. Patron Sponsors: Susan and David Askanase DIRECTED BY SAM HOFFMAN USA, 2017, 93 min
LANGUAGE English
GENRE Comedy
LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER Saturday, March 17 | 8:30 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC In this modern Romeo and Juliet story, Arthur and Vida come from vastly different backgrounds. He is a bike courier from a Welsh working class background and she is a cellist from a wealthy Jewish family. Set in contemporary London, this touching, sensitive and quirky tale shows how religion and class collide. But as in Shakepeare’s play, conflicting family ties present a challenge. Will love prevail? Johnny Flynn (Genius), Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply), and Ellie Kendrick (Game of Thrones) are part of the ensemble cast. DIRECTED BY EMILY HARRIS & ATE DE JONG UK/Netherlands, 2016, 101 min
LANGUAGE English
GENRE Comedy
HOUSE OF Z
Sunday, March 18 | 2:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Join us at 1:00 PM for a Champagne Reception with Zac Posen fashion sponsored by Neiman Marcus. Zac Posen is one of the most recognizable brands in the fashion world. Discovered as a teenager, Posen would design clothes for his high school friends: Chloë Sevigny and Claire Danes. A wunderkind who crashed and burned at an age when many designers are still finding their footing, his fast ascent to fashion stardom also was his downfall. Featuring interviews with Posen’s family and friends (including Naomi Campbell and André Leon Talley), House of Z follows Posen’s rise and fall and, at last, his redemption. Sponsored by Neiman Marcus
DIRECTED BY SANDY CHRONOPOULOS USA, 2017, 87 min
LANGUAGE English
GENRE Documentary
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AFTERNOON OF SHORTS
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
THE TRANSFER
ACROSS THE LINE
Erez, an Israeli officer has been ordered to transfer a prisoner through the Negev Desert - a journey where he’ll have to surpass himself.
Hananel, an Israeli Jewish settler, is hurrying home for Shabbat. An unexpected encounter with Mundir, a troubled Palestinian hitchhiker, leads them both on a series of adventures that eventually teach them a surprising lesson in communication, friendship, and love.
Directed by Michael Grudsky Israel/Germany, 2016, 22 min
MORDECHAI
Directed by Benjamin Bee UK, 2017, 14 min Daniel, an ultra-orthodox Jew, hasn’t seen his identical twin brother Mordechai in years; Mordechai’s ‘life choices’ were a bit too much for the family to handle. But today is the day of their father’s funeral.
THE FORGER
Directed by Pamela Druckerman, Samantha Stark, Alexandra Garcia USA, 2016, 16 min Adolfo Kaminsky started saving lives when chance and necessity made him a master forger. As a teenager, he became a member of the French Resistance and used his talent to save the lives of thousands of Jews.
GET CULTURED
Directed by Nadav Shlomo Giladi Israel, 2017, 29 min
SEVEN MINUTES
Directed by Assaf Machnes Israel, 2016, 12 min Yonash, a junior IDF soldier, is supposed to stay at the army base over the weekend. At the last moment, he is given a chance to return home. Seven minutes is all that separates Yonash from his temporary freedom.
POSTMAN IN UNDERWEAR
Directed by Daniel Binsted & Ben Ziv Israel, 2016, 15 min This is the story of an eccentric postman in the throes of a first-time love. In an attempt to help him express his feelings, two brothers seek to clarify the difference between romantic fantasy and real love.
The J’s Arts & Culture Events for People in their 20s & 30s
Axelrad Beer Garden | 1517 Alabama Street
Tuesday, March 20 | 7:30 PM POSTMAN IN UNDERWEAR
Directed by Daniel Binsted & Ben Ziv Israel, 2016, 15 min This is the story of an eccentric postman in the throes of a first-time love. In an attempt to help him express his feelings, two brothers seek to clarify the difference between romantic fantasy and real love.
AN AVERAGE STORY Directed by Yaniv Segalovich Israel, 2016, 17 min
Avi is a national celebrity; he’s the most average man in Israel. His wife is ecstatic and seeks to monetize his newfound fame in this wry comedy.
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Sunday, March 18 | 4:00 PM
Exclusively for ages 21 to thirty-somethings
LOST PARADISE
Directed by Oded Binnun & Mihal Brezis France/Israel, 2009, 10 min A man and a woman are making love in a one-star hotel room. A moment later, when they are both dressed, the idyll that seemed authentic is now gone. A present-day Adam and Eve story.
THE FUNERAL
Directed by Nick Green UK, 2013, 15 min Arnold is being pulled in two different directions by his mother and wife about his son’s Bar Mitzvah. But when a family tragedy brings everyone together, it has consequences no one quite expects.
CLOSING NIGHT KEEP THE CHANGE Sunday, March 18 | 7:30 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Winner of the best narrative feature at the Tribeca Festival, this romantic comedy chronicles the relationship of David and Sarah, two young people on the autism spectrum. David, son of wealthy Jewish parents, is forced to join a support group after he insults a cop. Sarah, unlike David, recognizes and accepts her disabilities. As their relationship deepens, she challenges David to embrace his own uniqueness. The cast is comprised mostly of autistic members of The Manhattan JCC. An endearing and naturalistic romantic comedy about people navigating the difficulties of a relationship, Keep the Change details an underrepresented community with authenticity, optimism and humor. Join us after the film for a wine tasting by Fleischer Wines, a division of Mexcor. This is a reserved seating night. See page 2 for details. DIRECTED BY RACHEL ISRAEL USA, 2017, 94 min
LANGUAGE English
GENRE Comedy
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Houston Jewish Film Festival | March 3-18, 2018 Holocaust Museum Houston, Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater
VENUES LEGEND
9220 Kirby Drive, Suite 100 Houston, TX 77054
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC, Kaplan Theatre
Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH)
5601 South Braeswood Houston, TX 77096
3400 Main Street Houston, TX 77002
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Brown Auditorium Theater
Axelrad Beer Garden
1517 Alabama St, Houston, TX 77004
1001 Bissonnet Street Houston, TX 77005
SUNDAY
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
1
2
SATURDAY 3 5:00 PM A Short with Shabbatify FREE OPENING NIGHT 8:00 PM Shelter $12 | $18
4
5
6
7
8
9
1:00 PM Menashe $9 | $14
7:30 PM ITZHAK
6:00 PM Let Yourself Go $6
WOMEN’S NIGHT 6:30 PM Dinner
4:00 PM Norman $9 | $14
$18 | $27
6:00 PM The Children of Chance $8 | $10
8:00 PM An Act of Defiance $9 | $14
7:30 PM The Wedding Plan $9 | $14
1:00 PM Humor Me $9 | $14 With lunch and a film for 60+
Itzhak Perlman in attendance
8:00 PM The Children of Chance $8 | $10
7:30 PM Scaffolding $9 | $14
7:30 PM Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me $8 | $10
11
12
13
14
15
11:00 AM The Last Band in Lebanon $9 | $14
6:00 PM Shelter $6
CHAIR’S CHOICE 7:30 PM Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb $9 | $14
7:30 PM Bye Bye Germany $9 | $14
6:00 PM Winter Hunt $6
6:00 PM Humor Me $9 | $14
8:00 PM Saving Neta $9 | $14
8:30 PM Love is Thicker than Water $9 | $14
2:00 PM Riphagen $9 | $14
8:00 PM The Testament $9 | $14
16
10
5:00 PM Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Indian Cinema $8 | $10
17
Double Header Price: $16 | $24
7:00 PM A Quiet Heart $8 | $10
18
19
CLOSING DAY 2:00 PM House of Z $9 | $14 4:00 PM Afternoon of Shorts $9 | $14 7:30 PM Keep the Change $9 | $14
16
20
21
7:30 PM Get Cultured: Short Film Night FREE
Exclusively for Ages 21 to Thirty-something
22
23
24
Every movie ticket from the J gets you 10% off at Laykie’s Gourmet Café at the J Hours During Film Festival Mon-Thurs: 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM* Friday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sunday: 12:00 PM – 7:30 PM *Cafe will be open until 8:00 PM on March 7, 12, & 15.
Price: Member | Public
Member price includes Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Member/Patron of the Arts/MFAH Film Buff/HMH Member
For venue information, please see page 2.
Discounts for Students and Seniors 60+ available at time of purchase.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF 2017-2018 Film Committee Leah Gross, Chair Nada Chandler, Vice-Chair Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan, Founding Chairs Ron Biran Joyce Cramer John Dreyfus Beverly Fanarof
Sue Goott Jerry Greenspan Diane Kaplan Marisa Kelner Eve Lapin
Lori Lazard Miriam Pacht Justin Sable Dylan Siegman Megan Uzick
Debi Wexler Catherine Wile Helen Wils
Marian Luntz
Tamara Savage
Curator, Film and Video The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Managing Director/Director of Public Programs Holocaust Museum Houston
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Debbie Kaplan
Joel Dinkin
Marilyn Hassid
Amy Rahmani
President
Executive Vice President
Assistant Executive Director
Assistant Director, Arts & Culture
Jasmine Ross
Jerry Lynch and Lee Snyder
Arts & Culture Assistant
Projectionists
SPONSORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS Supporters
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Patron of the Arts Media Sponsor
The Maurice Amado Foundation Official Hotel of the ERJCC
Director
Brian Gavin Diamonds
Lillian Kaiser Lewis Foundation
In-Kind
Fleischer Wine: A Division of Mexcor HEB Buffalo Market
Community Partners AIPAC – American Israel Public Affairs Committee
Hebrew Speakers Professional Organization
AJC Houston
Hebrew Order of David (HOD) Galil
National Council of Jewish Women Greater Houston Section
Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
Holocaust Museum Houston
Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services
Congregation Beth El
Holocaust Museum Houston Guild
Temple Sinai
Congregation Beth Israel Miriam Browning Jewish Learning Center
Houston Chapter of Hadassah
The Program in Jewish Studies at Rice University
Congregation Beth Israel Sisterhood
Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism
Congregation Beth Yeshurun Sisterhood
Houston Yiddish Vinkel
Congregation Brith Shalom
Jewish Feminist Reading Group
Jewish Family Service
Jewish War Veterans - Post 574
United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston Village of Meyerland, River Oaks, and Tanglewood 17
Celebrating Women! March 2018
Author Talks
Author Talk: Jen Glantz
Author Talk: Harriet Lerner, PhD
Presented in partnership with the Young Adult Divisions of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston
Monday, March 19 | 7:30 PM Merfish Center, 9000 S Rice Ave
Thursday, March 1 | 7:30 PM Merfish Center, 9000 S Rice Ave
Dr. Harriet Lerner has been studying apologies and why some people won’t give them for more than two decades. Now she offers compelling stories and solid theory that bring home how much the simple apology matters and what is required for healing when the hurt we’ve inflicted (or received) is far from simple.
Walk down the aisle with Jen Glantz, author of Always a Bridesmaid (For Hire). Join your friends for an evening of sweet treats, champagne and hearing about the adventures of being a bridesmaid for hire. Jen Glantz is the brains behind the business Bridesmaid for Hire, which takes the drama out of wedding planning for the modern bride.
erjcchouston.org/celebratingwomen EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
Bobbi and Vic Samuels Center for Jewish Living & Learning
Lucky Penny THEATRE AT THE J
ISRAEL AT 70
Democracy, Politics and Society FEBRUARY 11‒25 erjcchouston.org/horvitz
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February 17 & 18
TRIBUTES
Thank You to our Generous Donors!
Bronze statue of Evelyn Rubenstein in the JCC lobby
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our many individual, corporate and foundation donors whose generous ongoing support helps the J continue to be a vital community asset. BOOK FAIR
In honor of Joel Dinkin on his leadership – Karen & Seth Lerner In honor of Hilary Kamin – Cindy Van Keppel In honor of Lisa Sheinbaum on a remarkable book festival – Karen & Seth Lerner
CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP BALL
In honor of Karen Brooks on her 60th birthday – Wendy & Andy Bernstein In honor of Bowen Detamore – Lori Doerr Kristin Nasr Melanie Baldridge Jo Anne Phillips Alicia Detamore Debra Stanley Cynthia Detamore Kim Williams Carole Gordon Sandra Wright In memory of Adrienne Golub – Elena & Joel Dinkin In honor of Bonnie Kasner – Brooke & Jeff Gunst In memory of June Sherman – Roz & Bill Fink
DANCE MONTH AT THE KAPLAN THEATRE In honor of Hilda Frank – Janet & Elton Lipnick
GENERAL TRIBUTES/ANNUAL FUND
In honor of Rochelle Cabe on her birthday – Debra Dluhy In honor of Joel Dinkin and his amazing staff in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey – Liz & Ron Oppenheimer In honor of Joel Dinkin – Maxine & Steve Goodman In honor of Phyllis Silver Henkel – Amanda & Eric Henkel In memory of Miles Jacobson, Donna Gershenwald’s father – Elena & Joel Dinkin In honor of Debbie Kaplan – Maxine & Steve Goodman In honor of Rabbi Jill Levy - Anonymous
GERALD RAUCH MEMORIAL FUND
In honor of Carol Frankel on her birthday – Lila Rauch In honor of Jason Leder on his birthday – Lila Rauch In memory of George Levit – Lila Rauch In memory of Michael Mahan – Lila Rauch In honor of Minnette Robinson on her birthday – Lila Rauch
GERSHEN FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND In honor of Stephanie Buck with wishes for a Happy Hanukkah – Linda Rector
GIVING TUESDAY CAMPAIGN
In honor of Joel Dinkin – Sandy & Sam Block, Tami & Gregg Sheena In honor of Marilyn Hassid – Steve Garfinkel In memory of our parents – Judy Weil & Barry Solomon
HARRIS WEINGARTEN TENNIS CENTER In memory of Helaine Grogin – Emily W. Stein
HOUSTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
In honor of Doreen and Basil Joffe on their 49th wedding anniversary – Beverly & Gerald Fanarof
HURRICANE HARVEY RELIEF FUND
In honor of Isaac Fein on his Bar Mitzvah – Ann & Stephen Kaufman In honor of Saranne and Livingston Kosberg on their anniversary – Ann & Stephen Kaufman In honor of Michele Lane – Don Klein In memory of Joe and Doris Levin – Charles Levine In memory of Selma Lewis – Janet & Elton Lipnick In memory of Harry Mellon – Elizabeth Liener In memory of Gerald Rauch – Linda Susman In honor of Gayle Rockoff – Betty & Ed Smith In honor of Sari Saritovsky – Anonymous In honor of Eva Ungar on her Bat Mitzvah – Ann Cohen
IRVIN KAPLAN CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP FUND
In honor of Karen Brooks on her birthday – Teresa & Jeff Kaplan
JEWISH ARTS & CULTURE
In honor of Marilyn Hassid – Libby & Buz Marvins In honor of Glenda Waldman on her special birthday – Libby & Buz Marvins
MARILYN HASSID EMERGING AUTHOR FUND In honor of Marilyn Hassid upon news of her retirement – Abigail Neiman & Marshall Levit Karol & Daniel Musher In honor of Marilyn Hassid on the birth of her grandson, Logan – Sarah Lascar In honor of Marilyn Hassid – Roni, Eli, Nicole, Evan and Logan In honor of Lisa Sheinbaum, Hilary Kamin and Marilyn Hassid – Sallye Wolf
MEALS ON WHEELS
In memory of our parents – Linda & Joel Chess In memory of Margaret Crowley – Ryann Leeson Carol & Sid Crowley Diana & Maurice Leeson In honor of Oscar Ertman on his Bar Mitzvah Maria & Bill Boyce In honor of Marilyn Hassid – Kelly Reynolds In honor of Constance Karger - Anonymous In memory of Harry Mellon – Shirley & Sigmund Horvitz In memory of Dr. Mark Rinkoff – Fannie & Steve Sherman In memory of Bernard Stolbun – Penelope Hooks In memory of Ronald Suchart – Shirley & Sigmund Horvitz In memory of Nina Switsky – Linda Schiffman
MERFISH TEEN CENTER BUILDING FUND
In honor of Don Bent – Elyse Evans and Shelly Schultz In honor of Joel Dinkin – Elyse Evans and Shelly Schultz
MIKE GROSSMAN/JUDY RICHKER MACCABI SCHOLARSHIP FUND
In honor of Marianne Greenfield with wishes for a speedy recovery – Vicky & Michael Richker In honor of Mel Gross upon receiving the Benjamin “Woody” Woodson Award – Vicky & Michael Richker In honor of Marilyn Hassid upon her retirement and devotion to the Jewish community – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of David Mendell Leff – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Clara Mark – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Shirley Mucasey – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Herbert Muhlbauer – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Milton Nirken – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Lloyd Parkans – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Asher Rappaport – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Fannie Rauch – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Bernard Stolbun – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Ronald Lee Suchart – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Leonard Swartz – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Marie Swartz – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of John Weintraub – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Paul Wishnow – Vicky & Michael Richker In honor of Lee Wunsch upon his retirement and his devotion to the Jewish community – Vicky & Michael Richker In memory of Roslyn Yaffie – Vicky & Michael Richker In honor of the Brit Milah of Benson Yudovich – Vicky & Michael Richker
OLIVER LAPIN CHILDREN’S BOOK FAIR FUND In memory of Jack Crook – Eve & Bobby Lapin In memory of Rusty Zainfeld – Eve & Bobby Lapin
PATRON OF THE ARTS FUND
In memory of Adine Holland – Barbara & Raymond Kalmans In honor of Jean Rosenbaum for a Happy Chanukah – Susan, Eric, Steve, Hae-Soon, Barry, and Eriko
RAYMOND E. PLOTKIN JCC MACCABI GAMES TENNIS SCHOLARSHIP In memory of Elliot Cowan – Elaine & Ronald Plotkin In honor of the life and memory of Raymond Evan Plotkin – Elaine & Ronald Plotkin
SOPH & AL NATKIN STARS PROGRAM FUND In honor of Linda Rubenstein on her birthday – Jennis Kauffman
THEATER PROGRAM FUND
In honor of Jackelyn Kraitman – The Rose and Gomez Families In memory of Sonia Kronberg – Ron Kronberg Theater Program Committee
For corrections or to make a donation, please contact our Development Department at 713.551.7219.
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EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON 5601 S. Braeswood | Houston, TX 77096–3907 713.729.3200 | erjcchouston.org
Non–Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 6217 Houston, Texas
Houston Jewish Film Festival
MARCH 3-18, 2018
Keep the Change
erjcchouston.org/filmfest