EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
Connect Magazine
Houston Jewish Film Festival MARCH 30–APRIL 10, 2019
Celebrating 15 Years of the Best Jewish and Israeli Films
A Bag of Marbles
erjcchouston.org/filmfest
Houston Jewish Film Festival | At a Glance COMEDY
5 | The Land of Milk and Funny
DRAMA
10 | The Unorthodox
4 | OPENING NIGHT: A Bag of Marbles
13 | CLOSING NIGHT: Mr. and Mrs. Adelman
6 | Redemption 6 | The Last Suit
DOCUMENTARY
7 | The Cakemaker
7, 11 | Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel 7 | Inside the Mossad 9 | Who Will Write Our History
8 | Simon and Theodore 8 | The City Without Jews 10 | WOMEN’S NIGHT: Working Woman
FAMILY
11 | A Rugrats Passover
SHORT FILMS
5 | FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: An Evening of Short Films
THRILLER
6 | Anthrax
12 | Rescue Bus 300
11 | Promise at Dawn 12 | CHAIR’S CHOICE: The Ballad of Weeping Spring 12 | The Light of Hope
TICKET INFORMATION
DON’T MISS OUT! FILMS SELL OUT.
Buy individual tickets early to guarantee a seat. INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
RESERVED SEATING EVENTS
See page 14 for individual ticket prices.*
Advance ticket purchase recommended. Discounts for individual tickets available at time of purchase. *A nominal additional ticket fee may be applied for online, phone, and in person purchases to ticketed events.
FESTIVAL PASS
Buy a Full Film Festival Subscription to have access to all Film Festival programs at the J, MATCH, and the West Houston event at Houston Community College.**
**Festival Subscription and Patron of the Arts benefits do not provide entry for films at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Holocaust Museum Houston, and Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Full Festival Subscription $80 Member $110 Public
Pick 5 Subscription
Pick 3 Subscription
$45 Member $70 Public
$25 Member $40 Public
New this year, all our events in the Kaplan Theatre will be reserved seating. Reserve or purchase your tickets early to ensure a seat. Empty seats will be released at the start of each program.
RUSH TICKETS
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 first-come, first-served basis to those in line. Rush tickets will only be sold to those actually waiting in line at the time of sale.
$10 Discount for Seniors 60+
To purchase tickets and subscriptions, visit erjcchouston.org/filmfest, or call 713.551.7215 or visit the Information Desk or the Box Office 30 minutes prior to the start of a program.
2
Mr. and Mrs. Adelman
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Welcome to the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center’s 15th Houston Jewish Film Festival. Like each one of its predecessors, this year’s Festival will be entertaining, exciting, stimulating and perhaps even controversial. For 15 years, this Festival has brought Jewish and Israeli films to Houston, films that we might not otherwise have the opportunity to see in our home city. Continuing in the legacy of our founding chairs, Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan, this year’s committee has screened, evaluated and discussed a host of films to find those that deserved to be shown. There will be 19 different films shown during the Festival! In addition to some very current Israeli films, we are showing a classic silent film made in 1923, The City Without Jews; it is a must for film buffs. If you caught the “buzz” about The Wife, then Closing Night’s Mr. and Mrs. Adelman is for you. Another that will become a classic is Promise at Dawn, French novelist Romain Gary’s epic story. Whether it is comedy or tragedy or social commentary that inspires you, you will have to come to each and every screening to get your fill. To make our films available and accessible to an even wider audience, this year’s Festival will include a total of six different venues, including screenings in West Houston and Midtown, as well as in the Holocaust Museum Houston. Our long-standing partner, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and our new partner, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, will be hosting an afternoon of films. Of course, most of our films will be in our home, the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, where we all will have the opportunity to see films on our new, very state-of-the-art equipment. I want to thank our incredible (and patient) staff, Andrea Wolfe, Amy Rahmani and Jasmine Mueller for their support along with the dedicated members of the film committee who not only watched a lot of films, but who were also willing to participate in the selection process and promote the Festival throughout our community. Our Festival would not be possible without the support of our Patrons of the Arts, Underwriters and Community Partners; their participation in so many ways makes our Festival successful. And a special thank you to Leah Gross, my predecessor as Chair of the Festival, for her support and mentoring. See you at the movies! Nada Chandler Chair, Houston Jewish Film Festival 3
Photo credit: Thibault Grabherr
OPENING NIGHT A Bag of Marbles Saturday, March 30 | 8:30 PM Monday, April 8 | 6:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Opening Night Festivities begin at 7:30 PM
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Un Sac de Billes DIRECTED BY CHRISTIAN DUGUAY France, 2017, 108 minutes LANGUAGE French with English Subtitles GENRE Drama
An amazing true story, this suspenseful and heartwarming adaptation of the autobiographical novel by Joseph Joffo relates the experiences of two young, Jewish brothers in war torn France. Their parents, aware of the danger to the family traveling as a group in an attempt to reach the French Free Zone, send the two young boys off on their own, forcing them to fend for themselves in order to survive the enemy invasion. They flee from place to place, live by their wits, and never admit they are Jewish. They experience the cruelty of Nazis as well as the kindness of strangers in this story of courage, grit, and ultimately, survival and grace. Underwritten by The Maurice Amado Foundation Sponsored by June and Leonard Goldberg 4
SNEAK PREVIEW NIGHT The Land of Milk and Funny
Comedy Set and Q&A with Documentary Film Subject and Comedian Avi Liberman Tuesday, March 19 | 7:30 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
The Land of Milk and Funny is a hilarious and revealing film detailing a stand-up comedian’s ongoing quest to bring top-tier American comedians to Israeli audiences. L.A. comic Avi Liberman, Israeli born and Houston bred, brings well-known comics to Israel and donates the performance proceeds to the Comedy for Koby charity, in memory of a 16 year-old Israeli terror victim. The tours have become so successful they are now biannual events, with over 100 poignant and sidesplitting performances under their belts, and generating a quarter of a million dollars. Patron Sponsors: Doreen and Basil Joffe; Susan and David Morris; Lynn and Armand Shapiro
DIRECTED BY LARRY HERBST USA, 2017, 87 minutes
LANGUAGE English
GENRE Comedy/ Documentary
Wendy’s Shabbat Directed by Rachel Myers USA, 2017, 10 min
A joyful group of senior citizens capture the spirit of Shabbat in their own unique way, gathering at a fast food restaurant to light candles and say prayers over hamburgers and fries.
Wendy’s Shabbat
The Outer Circle The Outer Circle
Directed by Adam Baroukh UK, 2017, 13 min
Our Brothers
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS*
An Evening of Short Films
As four generations of British-Iraqi Jews gather for a sumptuous holiday feast, a young couple is confronted with the problematic realities of interfaith relationships and cultural disparities.
Our Brothers
Directed by Misha Zubarev USA, 2017, 5 min
Friday, March 29 | 7:30 PM
The Tasting Room | Ages 21 and up Experience Shabbat dinner in a sophisticated setting while enjoying the artistic genre of film. Menu will be kosher style with fish and vegetarian options, but not under the supervision of HKA. Advance purchase required by March 22.
When Amir, a secular former IDF soldier and Yosef, an Orthodox man, find themselves waiting for the same delayed bus, the two realize they have much more in common than they think.
*Not included in the Patron of the Arts offering or Film Festival subscriptions
5
HJFF MUSEUM DAY Join us in the Museum District for a day of films. Start your afternoon at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, grab a bite to eat in between and end it at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Redemption*
The Last Suit*
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Sunday, March 31 | 3:00 PM
Sunday, March 31 | 1:00 PM
Menachem, a former frontman for a rock band, is now religious, and a widower. When his young daughter is diagnosed with cancer, he must find a creative solution to fund the expensive treatments. He reunites his band for one last tour, which exposes old wounds and allows him to reconnect with his secular past. Menachem understands that only a new connection to his past and to his music can pave the road to his own redemption.
Eighty-eight-year-old Jewish tailor Abraham Bursztein (Miguel Ángel Solá) runs away from Buenos Aires to Poland, in search of a friend who saved him in World War II. The Last Suit’s klezmer-driven score and mix of multiple languages is a globe-trotting surprise, a late-in-life road movie with planes, trains, and heart that has charmed worldwide audiences.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Geula
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE El Último Traje
DIRECTED BY JOSEPH MADMONY AND BOAZ YEHONATAN YACOV Israel, 2018, 104 minutes
DIRECTED BY PABLO SOLARZ Argentina/Spain, 2017, 86 minutes
LANGUAGE Hebrew with English Subtitles
GENRE Drama
LANGUAGE Spanish with English Subtitles
GENRE Drama
Anthrax*
Sunday, March 31 | 6:00 PM
Houston Museum of Natural Science Photo credit: David Michael Shahar DIRECTED BY SHAI SCHERF Israel, 2017, 77 minutes LANGUAGE Hebrew with English subtitles GENRE Thriller
6
Between 1999 and 2005, 716 IDF soldiers took part in an experiment during which they were given a vaccine against the anthrax bacterium. Several years later, some of the soldiers suffered disastrous side effects; 92 of them sued the state and in 2014 Israel agreed to pay $6 million in compensation to the vaccine trial subjects. This film tells the frightening story of the soldiers who sought to save their own lives and expose a conspiracy of silence. Visit the exhibition Death by Natural Causes on view at the HMNS. Patrons of the Arts private tour of Death by Natural Causes exhibit at 4:30 PM. Advanced purchase required. See upcoming Patron of the Arts emails for details.
*Not included in the Patron of the Arts offering or Film Festival subscriptions
Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel
Presented in collaboration with Congregation Or Ami and Temple Sinai Sunday, March 31 | 2:30 PM
Houston Community College Spring Branch Campus
SECOND SHOWING!
See Heading Home at the J on Sunday, April 7 at 1:00 PM.
No one expected Team Israel to DIRECTED BY SETH KRAMER, progress in the 2017 World DANIEL A. MILLER Baseball Classic. Against all odds, AND JEREMY NEWBERGER USA/Israel/Japan/South Korea, 2018, they became one of the best 91 minutes teams in the world. Heading Home LANGUAGE GENRE is a film about baseball players, English Documentary some of whom had a tenuous connection to their Jewish heritage prior to bonding as a Jewish team.
Inside the Mossad Monday, April 1 | 5:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Photo credit: Ron Katzenelson
Everybody fantasizes about DIRECTED BY DUKI DROR Israel/Germany, 2018, 90 minutes being invisible,” says filmmaker Duki Dror. What would it be like LANGUAGE GENRE Hebrew with Documentary to have a different identity, English Subtitles unknown, yet knowing your actions could impact history? In this fascinating documentary, former Mossad operatives break their silence for the first time since the founding of the enigmatic agency, discussing moral challenges, successes and failures. Interviewees so canny that Dror recognizes he himself is being interrogated, judged, analyzed, and X-rayed before any of his subjects say a single word. Patron Sponsors: Esther and Gary Polland
The Cakemaker* Monday, April 1 | 7:00 PM
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston German baker Thomas is having DIRECTED BY OFIR RAUL GRAIZER an affair with Oren, a married Germany/Israel, 2017, 105 minutes Israeli man who has frequent LANGUAGE GENRE business visits in Berlin. After English, Hebrew, Drama Oren dies in a car crash, Thomas German with English Subtitles travels to Jerusalem seeking answers about his lover’s death. Thomas searches for Oren’s widowed wife, who owns a small café, and starts to work for her. He soon finds himself intimately involved with the widow, and must stretch his lie to protect the truth about Oren. *Not included in the Patron of the Arts offering or Film Festival subscriptions
7
Simon and Theodore Tuesday, April 2 | 7:30 PM
Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston Pregnant Rabbi Rivka has been preparing Theodore for his bar mitzvah unbeknownst to Edith, Theodore’s single mother. Angry when his father fails to attend, Theodore runs from the synagogue. Rivka’s husband, Simon, AWOL from a psychiatric unit, races after Theodore and the two make their way through the Paris night. Desperate to locate the pair, Rivka contacts Edith. When Rivka goes into premature labor, Edith is there to assist. Somehow, they manage to come together and find redemption in this poignant film. Sponsored by The Lillian Kaiser Lewis Foundation in honor of Dolores Wilkenfeld FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Simon et Théodore DIRECTED BY MIKAEL BUCH France, 2017, 84 minutes LANGUAGE French with English Subtitles
GET CULTURED: THE J’S ARTS & CULTURE EVENTS FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR 20S AND 30S
GENRE Drama
Happy Hour Reception at Wooster’s Garden 6:00 PM–7:00 PM | 3315 Milam St. Exclusive reception for people ages 21-thirty something Join Get Cultured for a happy hour prior to Simon and Theodore at Wooster’s Garden, including extended happy hour pricing.
The City Without Jews Wednesday, April 3 | 5:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Believed to have been lost for 90 years, a copy of this silent film from 1924 was miraculously discovered in a Paris flea market in 2015 and restored by Austria's national film archive. Intended originally as political satire, all Jews have been ordered to evacuate Austria with the rise of a Socialist Party. In the ensuing months, the sober reality of a society without Jews sets in, as cultural institutions close and cafes are shut down. The film became the subject of controversy and censorship, especially in conjunction with the rise of Nazism. FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Die Stadt Ohne Juden DIRECTED BY HANS KARL BRESLAUER Austria, 1924, 87 minutes
Photo credit: Filmarchiv Austria
8
LANGUAGE Silent with English Intertitles
GENRE Drama/Silent Film
Photo credit: Anna Wloch
Who Will Write Our History
Director Roberta Grossman in attendance on April 3 to introduce the film and lead a Q&A Wednesday, April 3 | 7:30 PM Friday, April 5 | 1:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
DIRECTED BY ROBERTA GROSSMAN A story of resistance; spiritual resistors who risked their lives so that the USA, 2018, 94 minutes truth would survive, even if they did not. From Roberta Grossman, the LANGUAGE GENRE director of Hava Nagila (The Movie) (HJFF 2013) and produced by Nancy English, Yiddish, Polish Documentary with English Subtitles Spielberg (Above and Beyond, HJFF 2015), comes Who Will Write Our History, a film about the archivists of the Warsaw Ghetto. Polish-Jewish historian Emanuel Ringleblum, known by the code name Oyneg Shabes, feared that unless Jews wrote their own history, the Germans would write it for them. He led a clandestine group to gather information about everyday life in the Ghetto, vowing to defeat Nazi lies and propaganda with pen and paper. Years later, buried underground, two of the archives were rescued from the rubble. The third still remains missing.
Underwritten by The Mitzner Family and RIDA Development Corporation in Memory of David Mitzner and Tema Mitzner Roberta Grossman’s visit is underwritten by the Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan Founders Fund 9
WOMEN’S NIGHT
| Join us for Women’s Night at the J!
Bring your dinner or buy from Laykie’s Gourmet Café at the J, and we will provide the wine. Food can be purchased from the Café or pre-ordered with Laykie: • 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.
For groups: RSVP to reserve a table and seats for the film (first come, first served) by Friday, March 15 to Jasmine Mueller jmueller@erjcchouston.org or call 713.551.7215. Film tickets must be reserved by Patron of the Arts and Festival Subscribers or purchased in advance. Individual tickets to the film will open on March 19.
Working Woman Thursday, April 4 | 7:30 PM Dinner | 6:30 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Orna, a married woman and mother of FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE three young children, takes a job with Isha Ovedet a prominent real estate developer to DIRECTED BY MICHAL AVIAD increase her family’s income. A quick Israel, 2018, 93 minutes learner and a successful marketer, she LANGUAGE GENRE is soon in charge of a major project. Hebrew with English Subtitles Drama However, her passive-aggressive boss, Benny starts making seemingly innocuous comments about her hair and clothing which steadily escalate to unwanted sexual advances culminating in an excruciating scene in a Paris hotel in this film for our times.
MAKE IT A DATE NIGHT WITH THESE TWO MOVIES! Enjoy live music between the films.
Working Woman Saturday, April 6 | 6:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
The Unorthodox Saturday, April 6 | 8:30 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Premiering as the opening film of the 2018 Jerusalem Film Festival, The Unorthodox tells the story of the rise of the SHAS party. Based on actual events, the grassroots movement was started by Yaakov Cohen, a printer and the “underdog.” After his daughter is thrown out of her school on the grounds that she doesn’t “fit in” because she is Sephardi in a world of Ashkenazi Jews, Cohen enters into one of the most bizarre yet influential elections Israel has ever experienced. The film takes a humorous approach on the politics and activism that helped shaped Israel.
Photo credit: Yaron Scharf
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Ha-Bilti Rishmi’im DIRECTED BY ELIRAN MALKA Israel, 2018, 92 minutes LANGUAGE Hebrew with English Subtitles
Supported by the Rosita and Albert Gaon Sephardic Heritage Program Endowment Fund 10
GENRE Comedy
A Rugrats Passover
Presented by Mishpacha & Me and the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston’s PJ Library and YAD Young Family programs
Sunday, April 7 | 10:00 AM–11:30 AM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC FREE | Registration required
Join M&M, PJ Library and YAD Young Family at the Houston Jewish Film Festival. We'll go on an adventure with the Rugrats crew as we explore the story of Passover together. DIRECTED BY JIM DUFFY, STEVE SOCKI, Following the film we will enjoy AND JEFF MCGRATH decorating Matzah snacks and USA, 1994, 24 minutes then play leap frog and enjoy LANGUAGE GENRE free play in our preschool gym English Family with friends.
Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel Sunday, April 7 | 1:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
DIRECTED BY SETH KRAMER, DANIEL A. MILLER, AND JEREMY NEWBERGER USA/Israel/Japan/South Korea, 2018, 91 minutes LANGUAGE English
GENRE Documentary
No one expected Team Israel to progress in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Against all odds, they beat Korea, China, the Netherlands and Cuba, becoming one of the best teams in the world. But Heading Home is more than a film about baseball; it is a film about baseball players, some of whom had a tenuous connection to their Jewish heritage prior to bonding as a Jewish team. This is a film for sports fans and non-sports fans alike, poignant, funny and inspiring. Patron Sponsors: Eve and Bobby Lapin & Joanne and Bruce Levy
Promise at Dawn Sunday, April 7 | 3:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE La Promesse de l’aube’ DIRECTED BY ERIC BARBIER France, 2017, 131 minutes LANGUAGE French with English Subtitles
GENRE Drama
Based upon his autobiographical novel, Promise at Dawn follows novelist Romain Gary from his earliest impoverished years in Vilna, where he and his mother were marginalized and ridiculed, through his experiences as a fighter pilot during WWII. His mother repeatedly told him that he was destined to greatness, that he would become a diplomat, famous and respected. Against all odds, he fulfilled his mother’s dreams; not only was he a diplomat, but he also won the Prix Goncourt, the French literature prize—twice.
11
CHAIR’S CHOICE
Join us for The Ballad of the Weeping Spring, a favorite of our Film Chair, Nada Chandler.
The Ballad of the Weeping Spring Sunday, April 7 | 7:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Mafredi, near death, sends his son Avram to locate Josef, Mafredi’s former musical collaborator so that Josef can fulfill his promise to play a song the two had written years ago. The two set out to locate musicians skilled in the string, percussion and woodwind instruments necessary for the soulful tones of Near East music. This is an adventure film, with a motley crew of disparate characters, each with his or her own background story. A musical odyssey and touching tale, Ballad won four Ophir awards (Israeli Oscars) including best film in 2012.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Balada Le’aviv Ha’bohe DIRECTED BY BENI TORATI Israel, 2012, 105 minutes LANGUAGE Hebrew with English Subtitles
GENRE Drama
Patron Sponsors: Helen Wils and Leonard Goldstein
Photo credit: Nachshon Ari Kaplan
Rescue Bus 300
The Light of Hope*
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Holocaust Museum Houston
Monday, April 8 | 8:30 PM
This docu-drama, suspenseful and action packed, is based upon the 1984 hijacking of Bus 300 traveling from Tel Aviv to Ashkelon. Armed terrorists embed themselves among the passengers. The passengers were terrified— and heroic. Military, law enforcement and civilians gave chase as the bus heads toward Egypt before finally coming to a halt in the Gaza Strip. Testimonies from the hijacked passengers provide a picture of what actually happened during their nighttime journey from the moment of their abduction to their dramatic rescue.
Based on the true story of Elisabeth Eidenbenz and her female co-workers who transformed an old villa in southwestern France into a safe haven for countless pregnant women, mothers and their little children during WWII. Unfortunately, the villa attracted the attention of the Vichy government who demand that Elisabeth hand over all Jewish refugees and their children. Elisabeth and her staff, as well as the mothers, bravely put their own lives in danger to avoid closure of the home.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Hatifa-Kav 300
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE La llum d’Elna
DIRECTED BY ROTEM SHAMIR Israel, 2018, 75 minutes
DIRECTED BY SILVIA QUER Spain, 2018, 96 minutes
LANGUAGE Hebrew, Arabic with English subtitles
12
Tuesday, April 9 | 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM
GENRE Thriller
LANGUAGE Spanish, Catalan, French with English subtitles
GENRE Drama
*Not included in the Patron of the Arts offering or Film Festival subscriptions
Photo credit: Christophe Brachet
CLOSING NIGHT Mr. and Mrs. Adelman Wednesday, April 10 | 7:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Sarah Adelman reflects on her complex relationship with her deceased husband from their early courtship through their 40-year marriage; a love/hate relationship filled with secrets, passion and deception. When the two meet, Victor, an aspiring writer, is angry about his lack of literary success, his family and his sexual abilities. For Sarah, a Ph.D student, it is love at first sight. But who are they, really? Is Victor the successful Jewish prize-winning novelist and Sarah his muse and dutiful spouse? Closing night reception follows film.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Monsieur & Madame Adelman DIRECTED BY NICOLAS BEDOS France, 2017, 120 minutes LANGUAGE French with English Subtitles GENRE Comedy
Patron Sponsors: Ellen and Daniel Trachtenberg 13
Houston Jewish Film Festival | March 30–April 10, 2019
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
19
FRIDAY 29
SNEAK PREVIEW NIGHT
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
7:30 PM The Land of Milk and Funny $12 | $18
SATURDAY 30 OPENING NIGHT
7:30 PM An Evening of Short Films* $36 (dinner included)
8:30 PM A Bag of Marbles $12 | $18
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
1:00 PM Redemption $8 | $10
5:00 PM Inside the Mossad $10 | $15
1:00 PM Who Will Write Our History $10 | $15
6:00 PM Working Woman $10 | $15
7:00 PM The Cakemaker $8 | $10
5:00 PM The City Without Jews $10 | $15
WOMEN’S NIGHT
2:30 PM Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel $10 | $15
7:30 PM Simon and Theodore $10 | $15
7:30 PM Who Will Write Our History $12 | $18
3:00 PM The Last Suit $8 | $10
6:30 PM | Dinner 7:30 PM Working Woman $10 | $15
8:30 PM The Unorthodox $10 | $15 DOUBLE HEADER
$18 | $27 (For both films)
6:00 PM Anthrax $14 | $20**
7
8
9
10:00 AM A Rugrats Passover FREE
6:00 PM A Bag of Marbles $10 | $15
6:00 PM The Light of Hope $8 | $10
10
1:00 PM Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel $10 | $15
8:30 PM Rescue Bus 300 $10 | $15
8:00 PM The Light of Hope $8 | $10
CLOSING NIGHT
Every movie ticket from the J gets you 10% off at Laykie’s Gourmet Café at the J!
7:00 PM Mr. and Mrs. Adelman $10 | $15
3:00 PM Promise at Dawn $10 | $15
Hours During Film Festival
Mon-Thurs: 9:00 AM–7:00 PM * Friday: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM Sunday (April 7 only): 9:00 AM–7:00 PM
CHAIR’S CHOICE
7:00 PM The Ballad of the Weeping Spring $10 | $15
*Alternate location: please see film listing ** Early bird price available until 3/24 ($10/$16)
*Café will be open until 7:30 PM on March 19, April 3 & 4 and open until 8:30 PM on April 8
VENUES LEGEND Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston 5601 South Braeswood, Houston, TX 77096 713.729.3200 | erjcchouston.org/filmfest
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 Dr., Houston, TX 77054 713.942.8000 | hmh.org
Houston Museum of Natural Science Wortham Giant Screen Theatre 5555 Hermann Park Dr., Houston, TX 77030 713.639.4629 | hmns.org
Houston Community College Spring Branch Campus 1010 West Sam Houston Parkway North Houston, TX 77043 713.718.5700 | hccs.edu
Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston: MATCH 3400 Main Street Houston, TX 77002 713.521.4533 | matchouston.org
Price: Member | Public
Member price includes Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Member/Patron of the Arts/MFAH Film Buff/HMH Member/HMNS Member Discounts for students and seniors 60+ available at time of purchase | Additional ticket fees may be applied
14
COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF 2018–2019 Film Committee Nada Chandler, Chair Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan, Founding Chairs Daniel Barvin Joyce Cramer John Dreyfus Beverly Fanarof Silvia Goldstein
Sue Goott Michelle Greenberg Jerry Greenspan Leah Gross Diane Kaplan
Lori Lazard Noreen Lewitton Elena Levy Miriam Pacht Sally Pehr
Marian Luntz
Tammy Plumb Lisa Sheinbaum Jody Sweed Catherine Wile Helen Wils
Tamara Savage
Curator, Film and Video The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Managing Director/Director of Public Program Holocaust Museum Houston
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Lauren Blachman President
Andrea Wolfe
Program Coordinator, Arts & Culture
Joel Dinkin
Rabbi Erin Mason
CEO
Chief Program Officer
Jasmine Mueller
Amy Rahmani
Director, Arts & Culture
Jerry Lynch
House Manager & Artist Liaison
Technical Director
SPONSORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS The Houston Jewish Film Festival is supported by the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Patron of the Arts, The Maurice Amado Foundation, and a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.
Supporters Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Patron of the Arts Official Hotel of the ERJCC
Media Sponsor
Director Level Sponsor Brian Gavin Diamonds
The Lillian Kaiser Lewis Foundation
In-Kind
Fleischer Wine: A Division of Mexcor
Community Partners AJC Houston
Holocaust Museum Houston
L’Alliance Française de Houston
ADL Southwest
Holocaust Museum Houston Guild
AIPAC - American Israel Public Affairs Committee
Houston Chapter of Hadassah
National Council of Jewish Women Greater Houston Section
Congregation Beth El Congregation Beth Rambam Congregation Beth Yeshurun Sisterhood Congregation Brith Shalom Congregation Brith Shalom Sisterhood Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest Hebrew Speakers Professional Organization
Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism Houston Yiddish Vinkel Italian Cultural & Community Center Jewish Family Service Jewish Feminist Reading Group
Program in Jewish Studies at Rice University Seven Acres Jewish Senior Center & Medallion Assisted Living Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Israel United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston
Jewish War Veterans – Post 574
University of Houston Jewish Studies/MCL French
Israeli-American Counsel (IAC)
Village of Tanglewood/Village of Meyerland 15
ar ts&ideas | UPCOMING EVENTS CHAPTER AND VERSE
This new program offers Sunday brunch and conversation as we hear from contemporary Jewish authors on relevant issues of today. Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz The Path of the Prophets: The Ethics Driven Life Sunday, March 17 | 10:30 AM Illuminating the ethical legacy of the biblical prophets, Path of the Prophets identifies the prophetic moment in the lives of 18 biblical figures and demonstrates their compelling relevance to us today. Advance registration required by March 11.
Ariel Burger Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom Sunday, April 14 | 10:30 AM Taking us inside Elie Wiesel’s classroom, Witness chronicles the intimate conversations between these two men over decades, as Burger sought counsel on matters of intellect, spirituality, and faith, while navigating his own personal journey. Advance registration required by April 8.
Patron Sponsors: Leah Stolar & Bruce Kessler
AFTERWORD
Experience authors from the Jewish Book & Arts Festival throughout the year. Jamie Bernstein Famous Father Girl: A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein Sunday, March 24 | 1:00 PM Jamie Bernstein, the oldest daughter of revered composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein, offers a rare look at her father on the centennial of his birth in a deeply intimate and broadly evocative memoir.
Patron Sponsors: Vicky and Michael Richker
Caroline Moss & Michelle Markowitz Hey Ladies!: The Story of 8 Best Friends, 1 Year, and Way, Way Too Many Emails Tuesday, April 16 | 7:30 PM Hey Ladies! is a laugh-outloud read that follows a fictitious group of eight 20-and-30-something female friends for one year of holidays, summer house rentals, dates, brunches, breakups, and the planning of a disastrous wedding. 16
Heather Morris The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Presented with Holocaust Museum Houston
Wednesday, April 24 | 7:30 PM
A love story between the Tätowierer, the inmate responsible for tattooing a string of numbers on the arm of each new arrival, and a young woman. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a powerful portrait of courage, sacrifice, and compassion, and an enduring love that blossomed in history’s darkest time and place.
Marc Agronin The End of Old Age: Living a Longer, More Purposeful Life Monday, May 13 | 1:00 PM Dr. Marc Agronin presents a hopeful view of the aging process, casting it as a developmental force that brings unique strengths, including wisdom, purpose and creativity. These Photo by Andrew Hallenberg and strengths are portrayed in the Jenny Abreu inspiring stories from various individuals whom Dr. Agronin has encountered in his work.
MUSIC
Hankus Netsky & Eden MacAdam-Somer Featuring a reading of Sholem Aleichem’s work to commemorate his Yahrzeit presented with Yiddish Vinkel Houston Sunday, May 5 | 2:00 PM A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and ethnomusicologist, Hankus Netsky is founder and director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band. He has composed extensively for film, theater and television, and has collaborated closely with such artists as Itzhak Perlman, Robin Williams and Theodore Bikel. Eden MacAdam-Somer recently released her first solo album My First Love Story and maintains an active international recording career with such bands as Notorious Folk, the Sail Away Ladies and the Klezmer Conservatory Band.
DANCE
Koresh Dance Company Saturday, March 9 Koresh Dance Company of Philadelphia makes a return engagement to the Kaplan Theatre. Founded in 1991, by Israeli-born choreographer and artistic director Ronen (Roni) Koresh, this mid-size contemporary dance company is known for its powerful and sometimes playful performances, technically superb dancers, commitment to community building, and training.
Koresh Dance Company
Jerome Robbins on Broadway Lecture/Video Clips with Debra Dickinson Wednesday, April 17 | 7:00 PM This lecture presented by Debra Dickinson of Rice University will explore Jerome Robbins’ life and fascinating working habits, and include a discussion of his major shows and the evolution of his development as Broadway’s foremost interpretive musical theatre artist.
FILM
Making Trouble: Three Generations of Funny Jewish Women Thursday, March 21 | 7:30 PM Film provided by Pre-Film Purim Happy Hour | 6:30 PM
USA, 2006, 85 minutes | Directed by Rachel Talbo Produced by the Jewish Women’s Archive
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Film Screening and Parenting Workshops Sunday, June 9 Film Screening: 1:00 PM | Parenting Workshops: 3:00 PM In Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, filmmaker Morgan Neville looks back on the legacy of Fred Rogers, focusing on his radically kind ideas. While the nation changed around him, Mr. Rogers spoke directly to young children about some of life’s weightiest issues, in a simple, direct fashion. This special Shavuot afternoon program will begin with an optional film screening, followed by parenting workshops focusing on kindness, how to talk to children about difficult issues, and more.
ARTS IN THE AFTERNOON
The Arts in the Afternoon program provides the unique experience for our community to enjoy film, literature, music, and dance. DANCE PERFORMANCE The Magic and Mystery of Belly Dance Friday, March 8 | 1:00 PM
FILM | Making Trouble: Three Generations of Funny Jewish Women Thursday, March 22 | 1:00 PM 17
A Membership for Every Budget Join and get member rates on Film Festival events and more for an entire year!
Visit erjcchouston.org/membership for more information.
HOUSTON
ISRAEL AT 71 CELEBRATION May 9 | 4:30 PM Merfish Teen Center
Yom Ha'atzmaut Celebration In partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and the Israel American Council
Games, Crafts and Activities for Kids | Festive Music Israeli-Style Torch Lighting Ceremony | Israeli Food
31
st JCC Golf
Tournament Presented by
Monday, April 29, 2019 | 11:00 AM BlackHorse Golf Club
Annual Fund The J Annual Fund is the fundraising effort that supports every member of our community and the growth of our innovative programs and service.
For information or to reserve your spot,
visit erjcchouston.org/golf
EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC OF HOUSTON
83rd Annual Meeting Tuesday, May 14 | 7:00 PM Kaplan Theatre
Donate online at erjcchouston.org/annualfund
TECHNOLOGY + INNOVATION
LEGO ROBOTICS | PROGRAMMING | YOUTUBE SHOWS | AND MORE!
CAMPS AVAILABLE FOR AGE 3-GRADE 9
June 3 – August 16 erjcchouston.org/jcamps
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 30–APRIL 10, 2019
Promise Dawn Keep the at Change
erjcchouston.org/filmfest