25th Washington Jewish Film Festival by Edlavitch DCJCC

TICKETS

Ticket prices may be subject to online service charges

REGULAR SCREENINGS

$12

OPENING/CLOSING/CENTERPIECE EVENINGS SPOTLIGHT EVENING SILENT FILMS WITH LIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL PASS FESTIVAL PASS (30 YRS & UNDER) ALL-ACCESS VIP PASS

$30 $40 $18 $125 $30 $225

To Purchase Tickets

www.wjff.org 1-888-718-4253 (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm) DCJCC: Jan 27-Feb 18 (Tue & Thu, Jan 27 - Feb 17, 3pm - 8pm) WJFF Venue Box Offices: Same day, venue specific sales, when inventory remains

Fine Print

All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. All Saturday daytime screenings are presale only. Ticket and pass-holders must be seated 15 min prior to show start time to guarantee admittance. All filmmaker guests listed are expected, and their attendance is subject to change with or without notice.

PASSES

Having trouble choosing what to see? Pass-holders save money and gain access to all our programs! Pass inventory is limited and expected to sell out. Details at wjff.org.

VENUES Washington DCJCC Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater 1529 16th Street NW Washington, DC Adas Israel Congregation 2850 Quebec Street NW Washington, DC AFI Silver Theatre 8633 Colesville Road Silver Spring, MD Avalon Theatre 5612 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington, DC Goethe-Institut Washington 814 Seventh Street NW Washington, DC

JCC of Greater Washington 6125 Montrose Road Rockville, MD Katzen Arts Center American University 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC (AU Campus) Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Theater 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC (AU Campus) Sidney Harman Hall, Shakespeare Theatre Company 610 F Street NW Washington, DC

Join the conversation on social media using #wjff2015! We’ll post exclusive film updates, festival information, and more.

/WashingtonJewishFilmFestival

@wjff

THURSDAY, FEB 19 OPENING NIGHT Sponsored by the Jacob & Charlotte Lehrman Foundation 6:30pm

Magic Men (AFI Silver Theatre)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20 1:00pm

Invisibles (DCJCC)

3:00pm

The Decent One (DCJCC)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21

Sponsored by Scott Eric Dreyer and Ellen Clare Gillespie Dreyer 12:45pm

Red Father (DCJCC)

2:30pm

The Return (DCJCC)

4:30pm

Deli Man (DCJCC)

6:30pm

Au Revoir Les Enfants (Goethe-Institut)

6:45pm

Anywhere Else (DCJCC)

6:45pm

In Silence (JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville)

COLOR KEY DCJCC AFI Silver Theatre

6:45pm

JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville) Goethe-Institut Other Venues: Adas Israel Avalon Theatre Katzen Arts Center Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Theater Sidney Harman Hall at the Shakespeare Theatre Company

CENTERPIECE EVENING Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem (AFI Silver Theatre)

8:30pm

Casting Out (Goethe-Institut)

8:45pm

Mr. Kaplan (JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville)

8:45pm

Serial (Bad) Weddings (DCJCC)

9:15pm

24 Days (AFI Silver Theatre)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22

Sponsored by Linda and Sid Moskowitz

6:30pm

The Rosenwald Schools (Avalon Theatre)

6:30pm

Zemene (DCJCC)

In Silence (Avalon Theatre)

7:00pm

The Last Metro (Goethe-Institut)

6:30pm

The Muses of Isaac Bashevis Singer (DCJCC)

7:15pm

Little White Lie (AFI Silver Theatre)

7:00pm

Brundibar (Goethe-Institut)

7:30pm

The Dove Flyer (JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville)

7:30pm

Fragile (Adas Israel)

7:15pm

CENTERPIECE EVENING & VISIONARY AWARD PRESENTATION Hester Street (AFI Silver Theater)

8:45pm

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (Avalon)

7:30pm

Little White Lie (JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville)

8:30pm

Serial (Bad) Weddings (Avalon Theatre)

8:30pm

Almost Friends (DCJCC)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

6:15pm

The Go-Go Boys (Katzen Arts Center)

6:30pm

You Must Be Joking (DCJCC)

7:00pm

SPOTLIGHT EVENING: East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem (Sidney Harman Hall, Shakespeare Theatre Company)

7:00pm

2 or 3 Things About Him (Goethe-Institut)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28

SUNDAY, MARCH 1

12:30pm

Belle and Sebastian (DCJCC)

11:00am

Belle and Sebastian (DCJCC)

3:00pm

Secrets of War (DCJCC) 12:30pm

Apples From The Desert (Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Theater)

12:30pm

Almost Friends (Goethe-Institut)

1:00pm

Above and Beyond (AFI Theater)

1:00pm

American Matchmaker (JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville)

1:15pm

Stateless (DCJCC)

2:30pm

The Return (Goethe-Institut)

2:45pm

Fragile (Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Theater)

3:15pm

My Favorite Neoconservative (DCJCC)

3:30pm

Secrets of War (AFI Silver Theatre)

4:30pm

Fluttering Hearts and Longing Bellies (Goethe-Institut)

5:15pm

The Farewell Party (DCJCC)

5:30pm

The Trilogy of Love (AFI Silver Theatre)

7:30pm

CLOSING NIGHT: Mr. Kaplan (DCJCC)

Sponsored by Deborah and Michael Salzberg

5:00pm

In Silence (DCJCC)

6:30pm

You Must Be Joking (Goethe-Institut)

6:45pm

Next to Her (JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville)

6:45pm

Above and Beyond (DCJCC)

7:00pm

The Farewell Party (AFI Silver Theatre)

7:15pm

Golem (AFI Silver Theatre)

7:30pm

Zemene (JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville)

8:45pm

Divided We Fall (Goethe-Institut)

8:30pm

Next to Her (Katzen Arts Center)

8:45pm

24 Days (DCJCC)

8:30pm

Lionel Bart: Reviewing the Situation (DCJCC)

8:45pm

Anywhere Else (JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville)

9:00pm

The Dove Flyer (AFI Silver Theatre)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 1:00pm

Lionel Bart: Reviewing the Situation (DCJCC)

3:00pm

Dancing Arabs (DCJCC)

Sponsored by The Melvin and Estelle Gelman Foundation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Elise and Marc Lefkowitz

OPENING NIGHT Sponsored by The Jacob & Charlotte Lehrman Foundation

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Narrative

magic men Dir. Guy Nattiv and Erez Tadmor (100min, Israel, 2014) Hebrew and Greek with English Subtitles In the latest feature from the directors of Mabul, A Matter of Size, and Strangers, a 78-year-old Greek-born atheist (Makram Khouri, Ophir-winner for Best Actor) and his estranged Hasidic rapper son travel from Israel to Greece searching for the magician who saved his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life during World War II. Their Adriatic road trip involves much familial bickering but also has moments of affection, humor, and good will as father and son reconnect during their adventure. Opening Night Party with Director Guy Nattiv will be held at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza immediately following the screening. Catered by Provisions. 07 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

OPENING NIGHT Thursday, February 19, 6:30pm AFI Silver Theatre ADDITIONAL SCREENING Sunday, February 22, 1:00pm JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville)

CLOSING NIGHT Sponsored by The Melvin and Estelle Gelman Foundation – Elise and Marc Lefkowitz

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Narrative

MR. KAPLAN Dir. Alvaro Brechner (98min, Uruguay/Germany/Spain, 2014) Spanish with English Subtitles Jacob Kaplan lives an ordinary life in Uruguay. Like many of his other Jewish friends, Jacob fled Europe for South America after World War II. But now, turning 76, he’s become rather grumpy and fed up with his community and his family’s lack of interest in its own heritage. Becoming convinced that his German neighbor is a runaway Nazi, he secretly takes on the role of a spy – only he is no match for the forces of age. This heartwarming comedy tells the truth of life that transcends time and ideology. Uruguay’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award.

CLOSING NIGHT Sunday, March 1, 7:30pm - DCJCC ADDITIONAL SCREENING Saturday, February 21, 8:45pm JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville)

25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 08

CENTERPIECE EVENING

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLOM ALEICHEM Dir. John Lollos (75min, USA, 2014) Portraits of two beloved icons — Sholom Aleichem and Theodore Bikel — are woven together in this enchanting new documentary. The two men have much in common: wit, wisdom and talent, all shot through with deep humanity and Yiddishkeit. Theodore Bikel, the unstoppable performer whose career spans more than 150 screen roles (including an Oscar-nominated turn in The Defiant Ones) and countless stage and musical productions, is also the foremost interpreter of Sholom Aleichem’s work. Now 90, Bikel has played Tevye the Milkman on stage more than 2,000 times, and has animated Aleichem’s work through his two celebrated musical plays about the great Russian author. 09 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

Theodore Bikel will participate in an extended Q&A following the Saturday screening at AFI Silver Theatre. CENTERPIECE EVENING Saturday, February 21, 6:45pm AFI Silver Theatre ADDITIONAL SCREENING Monday, February 23, 8:45pm DCJCC

WJFF VISIONARY AWARD Sponsored by Louie and Ralph Dweck

HESTER STREET

CENTERPIECE EVENING

Dir. Joan Micklin Silver (90min, USA, 1975) Yiddish and English with English Subtitles Joan Micklin Silver’s humorous and poignant movie focuses on a traditional Jewish woman (Carol Kane) who arrives with her son to America in the 1890s, only to discover that her cheating husband has assimilated and resents his wife’s old-fashioned ways. In an Oscar-nominated performance, Kane overcomes her heartbreak by adapting to the new land. This groundbreaking independent film tells a heartfelt immigration tale full of Yiddish sentiment and culture and paints a wonderfully vibrant picture of the Lower East Side. Film selected and synopsis written by Aviva Kempner, WJFF Founder and Director from 1990-1993. The Annual Visionary Award recognizes creativity and insight in presenting the full diversity of the Jewish experience through the moving image. The 2015 honorees are Carol Kane and Joan Micklin Silver. Carol Kane will join us for the screening to accept the WJFF Visionary Award. CAROL KANE first appeared on screen in seminal films of the 1970s: Carnal Knowledge, Dog Day Afternoon and Annie Hall. Her breakout role in Hester Street netted an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Her role as Simka DahblitzGravas on television’s Taxi earned her two Emmy Awards. First and foremost a stage actress, she is well-loved for her portrayal of Madame Morrible in Broadway’s Wicked (2005-2009). Among other projects, she is currently on the hit TV series Gotham. JOAN MICKLIN SILVER established herself as one of the country’s premier independent film directors with the release of Hester Street. She went on to direct many critically acclaimed box office successes such as Between The Lines and Crossing Delancey. She also conceived and directed the musical revue A...My Name Is Alice with Julianne Boyd.

WJFF Classic Narrative

Tuesday, February 24, 7:15pm - AFI Silver Theatre 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 10

SPOTLIGHT EVENING

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary Documentary

EAST JERUSALEM, WEST JERUSALEM Dir. Erez Miller and Henrique Cymerman (80min, Israel, 2014) English, Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles Legendary singer-songwriter David Broza journeys to East Jerusalem to record his latest album with Israeli, Palestinian and American musicians. Broza hopes that bridging cultures through music can be one small step toward peaceful coexistence. The film weaves together soulful music and personal conversations of hope in a time and a place where hope is most needed.

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Thursday, February 26, 7:00pm Sidney Harman Hall, Shakespeare Theatre Company

Followed by a Q&A and 45min musical set from David Broza, Mira Awad and Steve Earle.

SILENT FILMS WITH LIVE ORIGINAL MUSIC

WJFF Classic Narrative

BREAKING HOME TIES Dir. Frank N. Seltzer and George K. Rowlands (78min, USA, 1922) Thinking he has killed his friend Paul in a jealous rage, David Bergmann flees pre-revolutionary Russia for New York. While there, he becomes a successful lawyer and woos smart, independent Rose, the boss’ daughter. Meanwhile, David’s wealthy parents sell their fancy home in St. Petersburg and immigrate to America. Unable to find their son, they fall into poverty. Will David marry Rose? Will the Bergmanns be reunited? And what happened to Paul? Long considered lost, the world’s only existing print of Breaking Home Ties was discovered and restored by The National Center for Jewish Film (NCJF). Live original soundtrack performed by pianist Donald Sosin and violinist Joseph Moray. Presented in conjunction with a special evening honoring NCJF Executive Director, Sharon Pucker Rivo, for her lifelong contributions to Jewish cinema. For more than 40 years, Sharon has been a leading film archivist, curator, distributor, producer, and academic. Sponsored by Linda Lipsett and Jules Bernstein.

Monday, February 23, 6:30pm - DCJCC

WJFF Classic Narrative

GOLEM Dir. Carl Boese and Paul Wegener (91min, Germany, 1920) Grammy-nominated Gary Lucas presents a reprisal of one of his most beloved original scores: the 1920 German silent horror-fantasyexpressionist film Golem, the tale of a 16th century rabbi who made a man out of clay to save the Jewish community of Prague from annihilation. Known for his work with Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, and Gods and Monsters, and for his innovative film scores, Gary has been dubbed “The Thinking Man’s Guitar Hero” by The New Yorker, “the world’s most popular avant-rock guitarist” by The Independent (UK), “One of the 100 Greatest Living Guitarists” by Classic Rock and the “Guitarist of 1000 Ideas” by The New York Times. Thursday, February 26, 7:15pm - AFI Silver Theatre 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 12

2015

WJFF Classic Documentary

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Narrative

2 or 3 Things i know about him

24 days

Dir. Malte Ludin (85min, Germany, 2005) English and German with English Subtitles

In 2006, Ilan Halimi, a 23-year-old Parisian Jew of Moroccan descent, gave his phone number to a pretty young woman. Later, when his kidnappers demanded ransom from his family, it became clear that she actually lured Ilan to his capture — he was literally flirting with death.

Family drama and historical truth collide in the painful legacy at the heart of this astonishingly intimate and honest film. In a rare look at descendants of a Nazi, the filmmaker breaks 60 years of silence and repression, investigating his father’s dark deeds as the Third Reich’s ambassador to Slovakia. Interviews with Ludin’s still-denying family members and others affected by his father’s actions reveal profoundly different views of the Holocaust and the public and private effects of evil. Film selected and synopsis written by Susan Barocas, WJFF Director, 2008-2011

Dir. Alexandre Arcady (108min, France, 2014) French with English Subtitles

Based on a book co-written by the victim’s mother, Arcady’s cinematic adaption offers a vicious cycle of dangerously real events including the kidnapping and torture of Ilan, the 700 phone calls, insults, and threats received by the family, and the Parisian police’s incompetence in dealing with an anti-Semitic crime. Saturday, February 21, 9:15pm AFI Silver Theatre

Thursday, February 26, 7:00pm - Goethe-Institut 13 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

Saturday, February 28, 8:45pm - DCJCC

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

ABOVE AND BEYOND

ALMOST FRIENDS

Dir. Roberta Grossman (89min, USA, 2014) In 1948, just three years after the liberation of Nazi death camps, a group of Jewish-American pilots answered a call for help. In secret and at great personal risk, they smuggled planes out of the U.S., trained behind the Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia and flew for Israel in its War of Independence. This ragtag band of brothers not only turned the tide of the war; they also embarked on personal journeys of discovery, sacrifice, and renewed Jewish pride. Directed by Roberta Grossman (Hava Nagila), and produced by Nancy Spielberg (Elusive Justice), this film celebrates the pilots who formed the Israeli Air Force.

Dir. Nitzan Ofir and Barak Heymann (60min, Israel, 2014) Hebrew and Arabic with English Subtitles Only 67 kilometers separate Lod and Tlamim, but the residents are a world apart, divided by vast national, cultural and ideological differences. Through an education and technology school program aimed at bridging gaps in Israeli society, sixth-grade students from a secular school in the impoverished city of Lod and a religious school in the settlement of Tlamim are paired as online pen pals. Samar, an Arab girl from Lod and Linor, a Jewish settler who lived in Gush Katif, forge an instant connection online; when the two girls finally meet, their families enter into a profound and complex experience.

Saturday, February 28, 6:45pm - DCJCC

Tuesday, February 24, 8:30pm - DCJCC

Sunday, March 1, 1:00pm - AFI Silver Theatre

Sunday, March 1, 12:30pm - Goethe-Institut 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 14

WJFF Classic Narrative

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Narrative

AMERICAN MATCHMAKER

ANYWHERE ELSE

Dir. Edgar G. Ulmer (87min, USA, 1940) Yiddish // Restored and with new English subtitles by The National Center for Jewish Film

Dir. Ester Amrami (85min, Germany, 2014) German, English, Hebrew and Yiddish with English Subtitles

Sponsored by the Arthur Tracy “The Street Singer” Endowment Fund honoring the memory and musical legacy of Arthur Tracy. Leo Fuchs, known on Second Avenue as “the Yiddish Fred Astaire,” plays an elegant and eligible bachelor who can never seem to close the marriage deal. An art deco romantic comedy about male ambivalence and Jewish assimilation, Edgar G. Ulmer’s last Yiddish movie was also his most modern. With its urbane, neurotic hero, American Matchmaker heralds the films of Woody Allen.

Noa, an Israeli student living in Germany with her boyfriend Jörg, becomes unhinged upon receiving disappointing news about her graduate thesis project – creating a dictionary of untranslatable words. When Jörg goes out of town for a few days, Noa takes the opportunity to spontaneously fly back to Israel — home, sunshine, family and her native tongue. Noa is determined this trip will do her good! Her lovable but dysfunctional family can’t keep old conflicts from arising, however, and soon her homeland begins to feel just like the Berlin she sought to escape. And then Jörg suddenly turns up at the most inopportune time – Memorial Day.

Co-Sponsored by the Esther Saks Abelman Yiddish Culture Fund. Sunday, February 22, 12:30pm - Goethe-Institut

Saturday, February 21, 6:45pm - DCJCC

Sunday, March 1, 1:00pm JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville)

Saturday, February 28, 8:45pm JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville)

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Mid-Atlantic Premiere Narrative

WJFF Classic Narrative

APPLES FROM THE DESERT

AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS

Dir. Arik Lubetzky, Matti Harari (90min, Israel, 2014) Hebrew with English Subtitles

Dir. Louis Malle (105min, France, 1987) French with English Subtitles

Rebecca Abravanel is the only daughter of an Orthodox family living in Jerusalem. Unhappy with her strict upbringing, Rebecca secretly opens herself to the secular world. At first her transgressions are relatively minor: she peeks in on Israeli dance classes, and eventually joins the co-ed sessions at the beckoning of a cute boy.

A heartbreaking story of friendship and loss concerning two boys living in Nazi-occupied France. At a provincial Catholic boarding school, the precocious youths enjoy true camaraderie — until a secret is revealed. Based on events from writer-director Louis Malle’s own childhood, the film is a subtle, precisely observed tale of courage, cowardice and tragic awakening.

Eventually, she runs away with him to a desert kibbutz. Her parents struggle with the repercussions, and Rebecca, too, finds secular life more complicated than she had anticipated. Based on the bestselling book by Savyon Leibrecht, who also contributed the screenplay.

Sunday, February 22, 3:00pm - AFI Silver Theatre Sunday, March 1, 12:30pm - Doyle and Masli Forman Theater (American University)

“A work that has the kind of simplicity, ease and density of detail that only a filmmaker in total command of his craft can bring off, and then only rarely.” –Vincent Canby, New York Times

Saturday, February 21, 6:30pm - Goethe-Institut Tuesday, February 24, 3:00pm - DCJCC 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 16

DC Premiere Narrative

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN

BRUNDIBAR

Dir. Nicolas Vanier (104min, France, 2014) French with English Subtitles

Dir. Douglas Wolfsperger (85min, Germany, 2014) German with English Subtitles

A beloved tale since its adaptation for 1960s television, this heartwarming new feature film is set during WWII in the snowy Alps of occupied France. Sebastian, lonely and dreaming of the day his mother will return from America, befriends “the beast” the local farmers are convinced is killing their sheep – an enormous yet gentle sheepdog who quickly becomes the boy’s best friend. With Nazis in the village rooting out the resistance fighters helping Jewish refugees cross the border, Belle and Sebastian’s loyalty – to each other and the village that embraced them both – will be put to the test.

Holocaust? Again? That’s the reaction of the youth theater company at the Berliner Schaubühne to their newest project: Brundibar, the children’s opera, originally performed at Theresienstadt. This is not a theoretical school lesson, and they are thrown directly into the maelstrom of history when their class travels to Terezin to learn about the terrors of the Third Reich. The group is accompanied by the charismatic dame Greta Klingsberg, one of the few survivors of the original cast of Brundibar. She takes the kids on a trip back in time and, slowly, they begin questioning their lazy attitude towards German history.

Recommended for ages 10+

Saturday, February 28, 12:30pm - DCJCC

Monday, February 23, 3:00pm - DCJCC

Sunday, March 1, 11:00am - DCJCC

Tuesday, February 24, 7:00pm - Goethe-Institut

17 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Narrative

DC Premiere Documentary

DANCING ARABS

THE DECENT ONE

Dir. Eran Riklis (104min, Israel/Germany/France, 2014) Hebrew and Arabic with English Subtitles

Dir. Vanessa Lapa (94min, Israel/Austria/Germany, 2014) German with English Subtitles

First love, school bullies, British New Wave … and SCUD missiles. This bittersweet ‘80s coming-of-age drama from the director of The Syrian Bride and Lemon Tree adapts two autobiographical novels by popular Israeli-Arab writer Sayed Kashua. Eyad is a gifted Arab teenager who wins the chance to attend a prestigious Jewish boarding school. Isolated and lonely at first, he soon develops close friendships and begins fitting in. Soon however, heartbreak, personal tragedy and politics threaten to destroy his adolescent idyll. As Eyad moves into manhood, he makes impossible decisions about where he will stand – and who he will be – in a divided country.

Heinrich Himmler writes, “In life one must always be decent, courageous and kind-hearted.” How can a man be a hero in his own eyes and a mass murderer in the eyes of the world?

5 TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY EDUCATION DAY ON ARAB CITIZENS OF ISRAEL (P. 34) Sunday, February 22, 2:30pm - DCJCC ADDITIONAL SCREENING Friday, February 27, 3:00pm - DCJCC

Through previously undiscovered private letters, photos and diaries that were found in the Himmler family house in 1945, The Decent One gives unique, and at times uncomfortable, access to the life and mind of the merciless “Architect of the Final Solution.” A unique portrait of one of the most prominent figures of the Third Reich: The Reichsfuhrer-SS, Heinrich Himmler.

Friday, February 20, 3:00pm - DCJCC Sunday, February 22, 4:45pm - Goethe-Institut 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 18

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

WJFF Classic Narrative

DELI MAN

DIVIDED WE FALL

Dir. Erik Greenberg Anjou (90min, USA, 2014)

Dir. Jan Hrebejk (117min, Czech Republic, 2000) Czech with English Subtitles

Jewish culture reflects the heart of a vital ethnic history. As that culture continues to shift and adapt alongside mainstream America, delicatessen food – as its name suggests – remains a beloved communal delicacy. In Houston, Texas, third-generation deli man Ziggy Gruber has built arguably the finest delicatessen restaurant in U.S. history – building on the contributions of iconic delis such as Katz’s, 2nd Avenue Deli, Nate ‘n Al, Carnegie, and the Stage – and embodying a tradition indelibly linked to its savory, nostalgic foods. A laughter-filled, drool-inducing, history of the kugel, corned beef, and knoblewurst.

Saturday, February 21, 4:30pm - DCJCC Followed by a special dinner hosted at DGS Delicatessen (p. 35) Monday, February 23, 7:30pm JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville) 19 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

“You wouldn’t believe what abnormal times do to normal people,” observes Josef as he and his wife Marie find themselves caught in a series of impossible choices and absurdist situations in Jan Hrebejk’s poignant film based on Petr Jarchovsky’s novel. Set in a small Czech town under German occupation, this Oscar-nominated film explores “not only the banality of evil, but also the banality of goodness, and the ridiculousness, as well as the tragedy, of their collision.” (A. O. Scott, NY Times). Film selected and synopsis written by Miriam Mörsel Nathan, WJFF Co-Founder and Director, 1990-2002.

Monday, February 23, 12:30pm - DCJCC Saturday, February 28, 8:45pm - Goethe-Institut

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Narrative

THE DOVE FLYER

THE FAREWELL PARTY

Dir. Nissim Dayan (108min, Israel, 2014) Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew with English Subtitles

Dir. Tal Granit, Sharon Maymon (93min, Israel, 2014) Hebrew with English Subtitles

Based on the autobiographical blockbuster novel by Eli Amir, this sweeping epic recalls a lost and cherished time when over 125,000 Jews lived in Iraq. We follow the teenage Kabi as he navigates the final years of the community’s existence in Iraq, before its expulsion and resettlement to 1950s Israel.

A compassionate dark comedy about friendship and knowing when to say goodbye. A group of friends at a Jerusalem retirement home build a machine for self-euthanasia in order to help their terminally ill friend. When rumors of the machine begin to spread, more and more people ask for their help, and the friends are faced with an emotional dilemma. Winner of Best Cinematography and Best Actor, 2015 Ophirs.

When his uncle Hizkel is imprisoned, Kabi sets off to find him, joining the Zionist underground movement. The film beautifully illustrates the complex existence of the Jewish community in Iraq, which had strong ties to the surrounding Muslim world and Arabic culture, yet simultaneously feared for its safety.

“[W]e discovered that when the body fails and the mind remains lucid, self-irony and humor remain the best way to cope with the prospect of death.” -Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon

Wednesday, February 25, 7:30pm JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville)

Saturday, February 28, 7:00pm - AFI Silver Theatre

Saturday, February 28, 9:00pm - AFI Silver Theatre

Sunday, March 1, 5:15pm - DCJCC 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 20

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Narrative

DC Premiere Narrative

FRAGILE

Gett, The trial of viviane amsalem

Dir. Vidi Bilu (104min, Israel, 2013) Hebrew with English Subtitles Jerusalem, 1966 – the year before the Six Day War, after which everything will change forever. A small family lives in a crumbling old building in the center of the city. Eli, the father, works all day. His wife, Ruti spends her days in bed reading thick novels that he brings her from the library. Their 11-year-old daughter, a creative and energetic soul, seeks attention from the other tenants in the building to stave off feelings of boredom and loneliness. One day, when Ruti finally decides to get out of bed, the apparent peace and serenity of the house is violated.

Wednesday, February 25, 7:30pm - Adas Israel Sunday, March 1, 2:45pm - Doyle and Masli Forman Theater (American University) 21 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

Dir. Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz (115min, Israel/Germany/France, 2014) Hebrew with English Subtitles Trapped in a loveless marriage, Viviane Amsalem (Ronit Elkabetz) has been applying to the rabbinical court for a divorce from her estranged husband for three years. Her husband continually refuses. In Israel, where neither civil marriage nor civil divorce exist, only an Orthodox rabbi can legalize a union or its dissolution with consent from the husband, locking Viviane into a seemingly unending battle. By turns an absurdist comedy and a heartrending personal drama, Israel’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award is a moving portrait of a woman’s struggle to overcome an inert patriarchy and live a life of her own design. Presented in conjunction with Reel Israel DC, a partnership with the Embassy of Israel, and the Avalon Theatre. Wednesday, February 25, 8:45pm - Avalon Theatre

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

East Coast Premiere Narrative

THE GO-GO BOYS

IN SILENCE

Dir. Hilla Medalia (86min, Israel, 2014) Hebrew with English Subtitles

Dir. Zdeněk Jiráský (84min, Slovakia/Czech Republic/Germany, 2014) Czech and Slovak with English Subtitles

Directed by Hilla Medalia (Dancing in Jaffa), this documentary reveals the inside story of two Israeli-born cousins, Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who in pursuit of the American Dream turned the Hollywood power structure upside down, producing over 300 films and forming Cannon – at its apex, the most powerful independent film company in the world. Celebrated, condemned, loved and loathed, Cannon’s legacy is undeniable, wielding a pop-cultural power that continues to seep into modern life today. The duo brought us Chuck Norris, Jean Claude Van Damme, and a flop of epic proportions in 1987’s Superman IV, but also supported cinema artists John Cassavates, Franco Zeffirelli, and Andrei Konchalovsky.

A vibrant, sound-rich and brilliant ode to the lives of Jewish musicians during the era of National Socialism in Slovakia, Czech Republic and Germany. In Silence is based on true stories of Alice Flachová, Karol Ebert, Edith Kraus, and Arthur Chitz. The film draws a sharp contrast between the protagonists’ carefree existence making music during the pre-war era and the subsequent upheaval brought on by the proliferation of Nazism. Intended as a documentary, the director ultimately turned out a feature film of exceptional visual and emotional impact, examining an ostensibly exhausted cinematic theme with extraordinary originality and intensity.

Sunday, February 22, 5:00pm - AFI Silver Theatre Thursday, February 26 6:15pm - Theater (American University)

Saturday, February 21, 6:45pm - JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville) Tuesday, February 24, 6:30pm - Avalon Theatre Saturday, February 28, 5:00pm - DCJCC 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 22

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Narrative

WJFF Classic Narrative

INVISIBLES

IT ALWAYS RAINS ON SUNDAY

Dir. Mushon Salmona (80min, Israel, 2014) Hebrew with English Subtitles

Dir. Robert Hamer (92min, UK, 1947)

From Mushon Salmona, director of Vasermil, comes the story of Raid, a young Bedouin from a desert village, recently discharged from the army. Despite all his problems, he tries to fulfill his dream of taking over the family’s herd of sheep. While minding the herd, he meets Nofar, the Jewish girlfriend of his cousin, Sleiman, a petty thief ostracized by their family. When Sleiman’s chaotic life endangers Raid’s dream and Nofar’s father discovers their relationship, the three embark on what is intended to be Sleiman’s last big job, but nothing turns out as planned.

With an atmosphere redolent of pre-war French “poetic realism,” the recently rediscovered and restored It Always Rains on Sunday is a Brueghelian slice of post-war British life. Amid a raucous street market, a feckless trio of thieves try to unload a truckload of hot roller skates. A music store owner chases one shiksa too many. A fight fixer drops a thick roll in the youth center collection box. In the meantime, a comfortably pipe-smoking inspector Jack Warner plays Javert throughout a long day – climaxing with an excitingly photographed chase through railroad yards and puffing steam engines, two suicide attempts and a murder.

Friday, February 20, 1:00pm - DCJCC

Sunday, February 22, 11:00am - AFI Silver Theatre

Sunday, February 22, 4:45pm - DCJCC

Monday, February 23, 9:15pm - AFI Silver Theatre

23 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

WJFF Classic Narrative

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

THE LAST METRO

LIONEL BART: REVIEWING THE SITUATION

Dir. François Truffaut (131min, France, 1980) French with English subtitles

Dir. Mick Conefrey (60min, UK, 2014)

Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve star as members of a French theater company living under German occupation during World War II in François Truffaut’s gripping, humanist character study. Against all odds, the troupe – a Jewish theater manager in hiding, a leading man who’s in the Resistance, increasingly restrictive Nazi oversight – believes the show must go on. Equal parts romance, historical tragedy and even comedy, The Last Metro is Truffaut’s ultimate tribute to art overcoming adversity, and became one of his most popular films, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film and 10 French César awards, including Best Film, Best Actor and Best Actress.

The rise and fall of Lionel Bart – the songwriter behind Oliver!, the most successful English musical of all time – told with wit and panache. Born Lionel Begleiter in the Jewish East End of London, Bart was influenced by music of the Yiddish theatre, the synagogue, American show tunes and rock ’n’ roll. Filled with archival footage and interviews, this breezy documentary takes us from the colorful world of Bart’s childhood to the bohemian post-war scene of London’s Soho, the West End Stage, and his friendships with Noel Coward and Judy Garland. The trajectory of Bart’s life is the “stuff of Greek tragedy, but with tighter trousers and catchier tunes.” Join us on Wednesday, February 25 at 9:00pm for a piano bar salute to Lionel Bart (p. 35).

Tuesday, February 24, 12:15pm - DCJCC

Thursday, February 26, 8:30pm - DCJCC

Wednesday, February 25, 7:00pm - Goethe-Institut

Friday, February 27, 1:00pm - DCJCC 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 24

DC Premiere Documentary

WJFF Classic Narrative

LITTLE WHITE LIE

LOST EMBRACE

Dir. Lacey Schwartz (65min, USA, 2014)

Dir. Daniel Burman (100min, Argentina, 2004) Spanish with English Subtitles

What defines our identity, our family of origin or the family that raises us? Lacey Schwartz, who tells her remarkable story, grew up in a typical upper-middle-class Jewish household in Woodstock, NY, with loving parents and a strong sense of her Jewish identity — despite the open questions from those around her about how a white girl could have such dark skin. At the age of 18, a freshman at Georgetown University, she finally learned the truth: her biological father was not the man who raised her, but a black man named Rodney. The family secret can stay hidden no longer as she begins her quest to reconcile the hidden pieces of her life. Tuesday, February 24, 7:30pm JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville) Wednesday, February 25, 7:15pm - AFI Silver Theatre 25 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

Ariel, a young man in his twenties, is our guide through a community mostly made up of Jewish business owners struggling to stay afloat in a Buenos Aires shopping mall. Fed up with the grind, he seeks Polish citizenship so he can become “European.” Torn over whether or not to leave Argentina, Ariel’s feelings are amplified by his father’s abandonment of the family during the Yom Kippur War when he left for Israel and never returned. Seeking guidance, Ariel consults his mother, brother, grandmother (whose childhood in Poland is the conceit under which he is applying for Polish citizenship) and the other assorted denizens of his multicultural Buenos Aires neighborhood. Film selected and synopsis written by Joshua Ford, WJFF Director, 2003-2010.

Monday, February 23, 7:00pm - Goethe-Institut

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

East Coast Premiere Documentary

THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER

MY FAVORITE NEOCONSERVATIVE // ALEX’S LETTERS

Dir. Asaf Galay (72min, Israel, 2014)

Dir. Yael Luttwak (64min, USA, 2014-2015)

Many books, biographies and articles have been written about the life and work of Isaac Bashevis Singer (Nobel Prize winner in Literature, best known for his story Yentl).

My Favorite Neoconservative offers a personal insight into the surreal power circles of Washington, DC. The filmmaker’s eccentric father, Edward Luttwak, is a prominent conservative – and architect of the air campaign of the first Iraq war – who makes his living as a military strategist. Raised in a Chevy Chase house overrun by her father’s associates, Yael Luttwak watched Paul Wolfowitz, Michael Ledeen and Richard Perle walk the halls of her childhood home. With unique access, the film reveals the personalities behind the headlines and tells a father-daughter story with a sardonic political twist.

This film uncovers a previously unknown and eccentric chapter in his life: in the mid 1960s, Bashevis Singer established an army of female translators – more than 40 women – who helped spread his work. He chose these translators carefully, was inspired by their presence, and often fell in love with them. Nine of the women who were intimately familiar with the man and his work are still here, and theirs are the only voices heard in the film.

Sunday, February 22, 1:00pm - AFI Silver Theatre Tuesday, February 24, 6:30pm - DCJCC

Preceded by a work-in-progress screening of Yael Luttwak’s Alex’s Letters, based on the book Alex: Building a Life, the story of Alex Singer, a 25-year-old American who died while serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Sunday, March 1, 3:15pm - DCJCC 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 26

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Narrative

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

NEXT TO HER

THE POLGAR VARIANT

Dir. Asaf Korman (90min, Israel, 2014) Hebrew with English Subtitles

Dir. Yossi Aviram (68min, Israel/Hungary, 2014) Hungarian, English and Hebrew with English Subtitles

Chelli is raising her mentally disabled sister Gabby all by herself. When the social worker discovers she leaves her sister alone in the house while at work, Chelli is forced to place her in a day-care center and the void left by her sister’s absence makes room for a man in her life. That man tears another hole in the sisters’ symbiotic relationship, and the three are slowly drawn into a strange triangle, where boundaries between love, sacrifice, nurturing, and torturing are broken. With mesmerizing performances from two female leads: Dana Ivgy (Broken Wings, Zero Motivation) and Liron Ben-Shlush.

The extraordinary story of three Hungarian-Jewish sisters who were raised in 1970s Communist Budapest to be chess masters. The Polgár sisters did not choose to become the heroines of this story. It was their father, who, driven by his educational vision, determined their destiny before they were even born. László Polgár believed that “geniuses are made, not born,” and he set out to prove it. The canvas he chose was his three daughters. The medium he chose was chess. No kindergarten, no school… Three girls, isolated from the normal world of kids, studied and practiced chess – with remarkable results.

Monday, February 23, 7:15pm - AFI Silver Theatre Thursday, February 26, 8:30pm - Katzen Arts Center Saturday, February 28, 6:45pm JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville) 27 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

Sunday, February 22, 11:15am - DCJCC After the film, join us for chess lessons, games and a simul-match (p. 35).

DC Premiere Documentary

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

RED FATHER

THE RETURN

Dir. Tova Beck-Friedman (56min, USA, 2014)

Dir. Adam Zucker (83min, Poland/USA, 2014) English and Polish with English Subtitles

Red Father follows the life of Bernard Ades, a Communist, Jewish lawyer raised in Baltimore and radicalized by the Great Depression. Set against the backdrop of the pre-civil rights era, the film follows Ades as he seeks to end systemic legal racism in Maryland, fights Fascism with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War, and becomes a target himself during the dark days of America’s McCarthyism.

Before WWII, Poland’s 3.5 million Jews made the country the epicenter of the Jewish world. Today, less than 20,000 Jews live there. Due to the Holocaust and ensuing Soviet era, Poland’s remaining Jews hid their identity from their children. With the fall of Communism, a young generation of Jews began learning their long-buried ancestry. The Return focuses on four women in their 20s who face the unique challenge of trying to create an identity in a vacuum, with little knowledge of their heritage. The Return depicts their valiant efforts at creating a new, authentic Jewish community in a country still regarded in the U.S. as the “Jewish graveyard.”

Saturday, February 21, 12:45pm - DCJCC

Saturday, February 21, 2:30pm - DCJCC

Sunday, February 22, 12:45pm - DCJCC

Sunday, March 1, 2:30pm - Goethe-Institut 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 28

World Premiere Documentary

WJFF Classic Narrative

THE ROSENWALD SCHOOLS

SALLAH SHABATI

Dir. Aviva Kempner (100min, USA, 2015)

Dir. Ephraim Kishon (110min, Israel, 1964) Hebrew with English Subtitles Documentary

Continuing her work chronicling the untold stories of Jewish heroes, Aviva Kempner (The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg) turns her lens on Julius Rosenwald – who may just be the greatest philanthropist you’ve never heard of. The son of an immigrant peddler, Rosenwald eclipsed his humble origins to become the top executive at Sears and Roebuck. Driven equally by the Jewish ideal of tzedakah (charity), the writings of Booker T. Washington, and an increasing awareness of racial inequality in American society, Rosenwald dedicated his newfound wealth and prestige to joining with African-American communities in the South to build over 5,000 schools and establishing the Rosenwald Fund for the support of African American artists and intellectuals. Supported by Wednesday, February 25, 6:30pm - Avalon Theatre The theme of this film will be further explored by authors, legislators, and audiences (p. 35-36) 29 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sallah Shabati – one of the most outrageous, beloved, and enduring artifacts of Israeli cinema – with a presentation of a newly restored print. This sharp, hilarious satire centers on new immigrants Sallah and his Yemenite Jewish family, flown to Israel during “Operation Magic Carpet,” and immediately shuttled to a government settlement camp. Unlike his hard-working neighbors, Sallah (Chaim Topol in his breakout role) is shiftless and lazy. Against all odds, he becomes a hero when, while wheeling and dealing, he uncovers misappropriations and corner-cutting in Israel’s housing industry. This hilarious portrayal of immigrants in Israel was the first Israeli film to be nominated for an Oscar and the first to win the Golden Globe.

Sunday, February 22, 2:30pm - Goethe-Institut

East Coast Premiere Narrative

DC Premiere Narrative

SECRETS OF WAR

SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS

Dir. Dennis Bots (95min, Netherlands/Belgium/Luxembourg, 2014) Dutch with English Subtitles

Dir. Philippe de Chauveron (94min, France, 2014) French with English Subtitles

During World War II, everyone had to keep secrets to survive, but at what price? Lambert and Tuur, two 12-year-old boys living in a small town in Nazi-occupied Netherlands, share a strong friendship. It’s 1943, but for these thick-as-thieves friends, the German occupation is merely inspiration for more exciting cave-war games.

A breakout hit in France, Serial (Bad) Weddings comically plays off, and then upends, racial stereotypes of all stripes. The Verneuils are Catholic, well-off and well-educated. They struggle with three daughters who have married, successively, a Jewish man, an Arab man and an Asian man, so when their fourth daughter falls in love with a Catholic, they’re delighted.

Even this bond is put at risk with the arrival of a lively young girl named Maartje, carrying with her a heavy secret about her past. As Tuur and Maartje become close, the estranged Lambert grows increasingly jealous and acts irrationally, exposing Maartje’s secret with far-reaching consequences that are beyond his understanding.

But things don’t go as planned and soon the three brothers-in-law are enlisted to prevent the next wedding in this raucous, romantic and quirky comic romp for the ages.

Recommended for ages 10+ Saturday, February 28, 3:00pm - DCJCC

Saturday, February 21, 8:45pm - DCJCC

Sunday, March 1, 3:30pm - AFI Silver Theatre

Tuesday, February 24, 8:30pm - Avalon Theatre 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 30

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

WJFF Classic Documentary & Narrative

STATELESS

THE TRILOGY OF LOVE

Dir. Michael Drob (87min, USA, 2014) Russian and English with English Subtitles

Dir. Laurence Attali (75min, Senegal/France, 1999-2002) Wolof and French with English Subtitles

In the late 1980s, on the brink of the collapse of the Soviet Union, tens of thousands of Soviet Jews were finally allowed to leave the USSR. What they did not expect was that their final destination, America, no longer welcomed them with open arms.

Laurence Attali’s three-part ode to Senegal, spirituality, and the nature of love. We offer an extremely rare screening of the full work.

In 1988, American policy suddenly changed and thousands of Soviet Jews were stranded in Italy. Stateless. This documentary captures their stories from the point of view of the émigrés as well as expert accounts of the situation from influential Jewish leaders including David Harris of the AJC, Mark Handelman of NYANA and Mark Hetfield of HIAS.

Sunday, March 1, 1:15pm – DCJCC 31 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

Even The Wind (1999) A taxi driver traveling at full speed through the streets of Dakar. Beside him, a platinum blonde girl, whose attention he’s aiming for, but missing. In the back seat, a golden saxophone. Baobob (2000) A marvelous journey to the heart of the forest of Dakar, where a djinn nestles in every baobab. The spirits guide us through this adventure. The Unshod Man (2002) A free interpretation of the Jewish law of Levirat, which obliges a brother to marry the widow of his deceased brother. A vibrantly shot exploration of the mystical link between Judaic and Senegalese traditions. Sunday, March 1, 5:30pm - AFI Silver Theatre

East Coast Premiere Narrative

Mid-Atlantic Premiere Documentary

YOU MUST BE JOKING

ZEMENE

Dir. Jake Wilson (91min, USA, 2014)

Dir. Melissa Donovan (68min, USA/Ethiopia, 2014) English and Amharic with English subtitles

Barb is an aimless, confrontational 27-year-old paralegal in this edgy comedy of reinvention. Sas Goldberg gives a frenetic, biting performance as a listless woman inspired by her childhood best friend, a ballet dancer, to pick up her long-shelved passion for stand-up comedy. Featuring a painfully authentic and endearing look into the New York improv scene, You Must Be Joking is a gut-busting, warm comedy with no shortage of emotional outbursts, awkward office dynamics, and dysfunctional families. An original feel-good comedy that asks the question: What makes you so happy you giggle?

Thursday, February 26, 6:30pm - DCJCC After the screening, join us for laughs and cocktails with JDate (p. 35) Saturday, February 28, 6:30pm - Goethe-Institut

An inspirational story of hope, love and unimaginable possibilities. We follow a spirited 10-year-old Ethiopian girl, Zemenework (Zemene), as she fights to keep hope alive and survive her lifethreatening and severe curvature of the spine. With no health care in her village, Zemene travels to the city of Gondar, where she is told no medical treatment can save her. A chance encounter with Dr. Rick Hodes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; medical director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee â&#x20AC;&#x201C; takes Zemene down a new path, giving her hope for the future.

Wednesday, February 25, 6:30pm - DCJCC Thursday, February 26, 7:30pm JCC of Greater Washington (Rockville) 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 32

SHORTS PROGRAMS

2015

Dear God

CASTING OUT (113min, Canada/Israel/Germany/USA, 2014) A series of films that examine extremities, those that dare push beyond them, and the very nature of being an outsider. Some are cast out by birth or circumstance; others choose to cast out on their own. Here we celebrate those who break the mold and challenge norms of all kinds – of religion, family, sexual orientation, dress code; and society’s expectations at large. FEATURED FILMS: 7 Day Gig, Dear God, End of Season Sale, Firstborn, Gloomy Sabbath, Some Vacation, Yidlife Crisis (episodes 1 & 2), and Zazaland.

Saturday, February 21, 8:30pm – Goethe-Institut 33 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

Hollow Land

FLUTTERING HEARTS & LONGING BELLIES (96min, Canada/Israel/Germany/USA, 2014) This collection of quirky originals deals with hungry hearts and emotional stomachs. Deep and primitive desires for good food and steamy romance are tackled alongside loftier pursuits for meaning, belonging, and true love. A wonderful mix of animation, magical realism, and truly unique modes of visual storytelling. FEATURED FILMS: Cherries, Hearts Melt and Knees Tremble, Hollow Land, Jewish Girls are Easy, Salomea’s Nose, The Ten Plagues, and Yidlife Crisis (episodes 3 & 4).

Sunday, March 1, 4:30pm – Goethe-Institut

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1:30pm-5:00pm - DCJCC Sponsored by the Greater Washington Forum on Israeli Arab Issues and the Washington DCJCC Lead support provided by the Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation and the Lois and Richard England Family Foundation

Join us for a day of in-depth exploration of the daily lives and challenges of Arab citizens of Israel. The day will begin with a keynote address by Dr. Dalia Fadila, President of Al-Qasemi College of Engineering and Science. This will be followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Fadila, and Safa Garb, JDC Division Director, Arab Society and Infrastructure, and moderated by Rabbi Sid Schwarz, Co-chair of the Greater Washington Forum on Israeli Arab Issues. After the keynote address, attendees are invited to the DC premiere of Dancing Arabs (p. 18) with filmmaker Eran Riklis. Co-presented by: Adas Israel Congregation, American Jewish Committee, Am Kolel Jewish Renewal Community, American University Center for Israel Studies, Anti-Defamation League, Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation, Lois and Richard England Family Foundation, Embassy of Israel, Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues, The Israel Action Center at the JCRC of Greater Washington, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds, New Israel Fund, University of Maryland Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies, Washington Hebrew Congregation.

2015

DAY OF EDUCATION

5 ANNUAL COMMUNITY EDUCATION DAY ON ARAB CITIZENS OF ISRAEL TH

25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 34

BEYOND THE FILMS

2015

SPECIAL DINNER HOSTED BY DGS DELICATESSEN

ISRAEL SCREENED: THE STATE FREE OF ISRAELI DOCUMENTARY CINEMA

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 7:00PM (following Deli Man screening and Q&A at the DCJCC) 1317 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 7:00PM – DCJCC

In conjunction with the screening of Deli Man (p. 14), Nick Wiseman, owner of DGS Delicatessen, prepares a special menu for filmgoers. The dinner will be served in the private dining room on the second floor, and RSVPs are required as space is limited. This dinner is only open to film attendees, but not covered in the price of the film ticket.

HERE’S ROOKING AT YOU, KID

FREE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 12:45PM – DCJCC Chess lessons, games, and a simul-match following the screening of The Polgar Variant (p. 27). All ages and levels of players (including beginners) are welcome to join! The simul-match will pit up to 16 participants taking on a GM-ranked player at the same time.

100 YEARS LATER:

FREE

Leading Israeli documentary distributor Ruth Diskin offers a state of the cinema address, looking at the evolving landscape of Israeli non-fiction film, and the challenges and changes ahead.

MR. SMITH’S PIANO BAR SALUTE TO LIONEL BART WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 9:00PM-1:00AM 3205 K St NW, Washington, DC DC’s top piano bar, Mr. Smith’s of Georgetown, gets in on the act! In preparation for our screening of Lionel Bart: Reviewing the Situation (p. 24), superstar piano man Jon Adelson tinkles the ivories with a special dash of Lionel Bart’s musical catalog including hit tunes from Oliver! He rounds out the selections with other queer Jewish rock and showtunes, and drinks are $1 off with a WJFF ticket.

LAUGHS & COCKTAILS WITH J DATE

THE LEGACY OF BOOKER T. WASHINGTON AND JULIUS ROSENWALD

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 6:30PM Masa 14, 1825 14th Street NW, Washington, DC

DATE TBD – HOWARD LAW SCHOOL (details at wjff.org)

Join WJFF, J Date and singles from around the city for an evening of drinks, laughs, and new friends. Start off the evening with the raucous romantic comedy You Must Be Joking (p. 34) before enjoying a fancy cocktail at the stylish Italian gastro pub Ghibellina with filmmakers Sas Goldberg and Jake Wilson. Drink specials and discounts for WJFF ticket holders!

Filmmaker Aviva Kempner (The Rosenwald Schools, p. 29) is joined by E. Ethelbert Miller, director of the African American Resource Center at Howard University, and Jay Stewart, Professor of Political Science at Howard University, for an extended conversation about the cultural and educations legacy of Julius Rosenwald on the African-American community.

35 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

ROADS TAKEN

FREE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 7:00PM – DCJCC Delving further into themes raised by Hester Street (p. 10) and The Rosenwald Schools (p. 29), Hasia Diner tells the story of millions of discontented young Jewish men who sought opportunity abroad, leaving parents, wives, and sweethearts behind to become peddlers selling their goods across the world. Hasia Diner is a Professor of American Jewish History and director of the Goldstein-Goren Center for American Jewish History at New York University.

FOR HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGE STUDENTS: Sponsored by the Samuel and Marlene Halperin Arts Fund at the DCJCC established in memory of Dr. Samuel Halperin

WJFF YOUTH CRITICS FORUM

FREE

A small group of applicants will be selected to participate in a prefestival workshop with leading film critics from DC and NYC, which will focus on learning to write analytically about media. These students will then be given full access to the 2015 Festival and asked to submit 2-3 reviews of films they saw – these reviews will be published prominently on the WJFF website and pitched by the festival for syndication by national cultural and Jewish publications.

WJFF YOUTH FILM COMPETITION

FREE

DC area students are encouraged to submit their short films (10min and under) to a student media competition. The winning entries – best high school and best college submissions – will be publically screened in front of premium nights at the WJFF, ensuring hundreds of people will see your work!

pre-festival events 25TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL PREVIEW SCREENING (FOR DONORS) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 7:00PM 2015 WJFF donors at the Camera ($550+) level and above are invited to attend a special sneak preview event of the film 24 Days (p. 13) followed by an hors d’oeuvres reception. Get a head start on the festival and be the first to see this engaging, timely, and important film.

TWO JEWS WALK INTO A BAR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 5:00PM BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Join us for a cinematic U Street bar crawl that’s become a beloved annual tradition. $30 gets you access to more than 20 films and three drinks. This year, the film focus will be Israeli animation and music videos. The event will likely sell out; get your tickets and more information (including bar route) at wjff.org.

2015

BEYOND THE FILMS

THE GREAT JEWISH MIGRATIONS TO THE NEW WORLD AND THE PEDDLERS WHO FORGED THE WAY WITH AUTHOR HASIA DINER

To learn more and apply to both, visit WJFF.ORG by January 28. 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 36

COMEDY

Fragile, 21

MUSIC

American Matchmaker, 15

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, 21

Breaking Home Ties, 12

The Farewell Party, 20

Hester Street, 10

Brundibar, 17

Sallah Shabati, 29

Little White Lie, 25

East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem, 11

Serial (Bad) Weddings, 30

The Muses of Isaac Bashevis Singer, 26

Golem, 12

You Must Be Joking, 32

Next to Her, 27

In Silence, 22

CLASSIC CINEMA

The Polgar Variant, 27

Lionel Bart: Reviewing The Situation, 24

2 or 3 Things I Know About Him, 13

You Must Be Joking, 32

American Matchmaker, 15

ISRAEL

Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem, 9

Au Revoir Les Enfants, 16

Above and Beyond, 14

Divided We Fall, 19

Almost Friends, 14

Golem, 12

Anywhere Else, 15

Hester Street, 10

Apples from the Desert, 16

FILM, PAGE NUMBER

It Always Rains on Sunday, 23

Dancing Arabs, 18

ARAB CITIZENS OF ISRAEL

The Last Metro, 24

The Dove Flyer, 20

Almost Friends, 14

The Lost Embrace, 26

East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem, 11

Dancing Arabs, 18

Sallah Shabati, 29

The Farewell Party, 20

East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem, 11

The Trilogy of Love, 31

Fragile, 21

The Dove Flyer, 20

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, 21

Sallah Shabati, 29

FAMILY/TEEN (RECOMMENDED AGE)

BLACK & JEWISH

Belle and Sebastian (10+), 17

The Rosenwald Schools, 29

Dancing Arabs (14+), 18

Little White Lie, 25

Secrets of War (10+), 30

Red Father, 28

FEMALE FOCUSED Almost Friends, 14 Apples from the Desert, 16

The Go-Go Boys, 22 Invisibles, 23 Magic Men, 7 Next to Her, 27 Sallah Shabati, 29 The Polgar Variant, 27

ROMANCE American Matchmaker, 15 Anywhere Else, 15 Apples From the Desert, 16 Dancing Arabs, 18 The Last Metro, 24 Next to Her, 27 Serial (Bad) Weddings, 30 You Must Be Joking, 32 WWII / HOLOCAUST 2 or 3 Things I Know About Him, 13 Au Revoir Les Enfants, 16 Belle and Sebastian, 17 Brundibar, 17 The Decent One, 18 Divided We Fall, 19 In Silence, 22 The Last Metro, 24

37 | 25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015

Secrets of War, 30

DAY SPONSOR Anonymous Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation Scott and Ellen Dreyer Louie and Ralph Dweck Susan and Michael Gelman Shelley and Allan Holt The Melvin and Estelle Gelman Foundation - Elise and Marc Lefkowitz Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation Linda and Sid Moskowitz Deborah and Michael Salzberg PRODUCER Linda Greenberg and Tac Tacelosky Linda Lipsett and Jules Bernstein Melanie and Lawrence Nussdorf DIRECTOR Patty Abramson and Les Silverman Michele and Allan Berman Cyna and Paul Cohen & Sara Cohen and Norman Rich Lois and Richard England Family Foundation Dina Gold Richard Solloway Marcia and Ira Wagner Diane Abelman Wattenberg Judith Weintraub

LIGHTS Belman Klein Associates, LTD Jacqueline and Edward Cohen Brenda Gruss and Daniel Hirsch Tamara and Harry Handelsman Aviva Kempner Marian and Alan Malasky Joy Midman Susan Wedlan and Harold Rosen Anita Wolke and Kenneth Brooks CAMERA Esther Saks Abelman Yiddish Culture Fund Babs and Rabbi A.N. Abramowitz Charlotte and Michael Baer Miriam and Eliezer Benbassat Kathy Borrus Susan Brett and Rob Shesser Frances and Leonard Burka CORTJET - Lisa and Bruce Cort Margie Corwin and Neil Schechter Leesa Fields and Jonathan Band Susan and Michael Friedman Karen and Howard Jatlow Sally Kline Janet Leno and Peter Harrold Dianne and Herb Lerner Rikki and Nat Lewin Iris Lipkowitz Dalya and Edward Luttwak Dorothy Moss and Lawrence Meyer

ACTION Leslie Barr Sanders H. Berk, MD and Sally Berk Suanne and Richard Beyda Drs. Cohen, Goodman, Simon, Ribera, Menhinick, Hetz Neil Cohen and Paul Wolfson Rosalind and Donald Cohen Rose and Robert Cohen Carol Ann Dyer Myrna Fawcett Lorraine Gallard and Richard Levy Nina and Sol Glasner Marilyn and Michael Glosserman Debra Goldberg and Seth Waxman Lisa and Tom Goldring Dr. Kenneth* and Cheryl Gorelick Fund Martha Winter Gross and Robert Tracy William Kreisberg Stuart S. Kurlander and David L. Martin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

FESTIVAL SPONSORS

MEDIA SPONSORS

Miriam Mörsel Nathan and Harvey Nathan Peggy Parsons Zelda Porte Deborah and Juan Prawda Elaine Reuben Melinda and Robert Robbins Beth Sackler and Jeffrey Cohen Michael Singer Francine Zorn Trachtenberg and Stephen Joel Trachtenberg

Aviva Meyer Sarah Pokempner and Jerry Levine Howard Schilit and Diane Lipson Schilit Silver Family Foundation - Peggy and Sidney Silver Deborah Tannen and Michael Macovski John Tolleris Joan Wessel CINEPHILE Anonymous Susan Barocas Francine C. Berkowitz Steven Blacher Richard and Amira Chadwick Victoria Cordova Margery and Mel Elfin Debra and Marvin Feuer Ronna and Stan Foster Pamela and Richard Gelfand Ann and Frank Gilbert Anita Glick Susan Sachs Goldman Hazel Groman Naomi and Jack Heller Alma and Sid Kaplan Ron Kaplan and Yoni Bork Janet Kolodner Bill Levenson Margery and Sheldon London

Madalyn and Ernest Marcus Carol Mates Ellen and Grant Ottenstein Susan and Dennis Papadopoulos Edna and Larry Povich Deborah Prigal Wilma Probst Levy and Louis Levy Dr. Sherry Levy-Reiner and Rabbi Fred N. Reiner Olga Ryzhikov Diane Scheininger Debra Schwartz Yulia Spivak and Roman Svirsky Mindy Strelitz and Andrew Cornblatt Irene and Bill Wallert Suzanne Wolk DCJCC FUND SUPPORT Milton and Helen Covensky Fund The Samuel and Marlene Halperin Arts Fund Chaim Kempner Fund The Harriet J. Neuman Endowment Fund The Arthur Tracy “The Street Singer” Endowment Fund * of blessed memory Gift listed as of 12.26.14

PRODUCERS

FOOD & BEVERAGE café

@CAFEDIEMDC

d.c.

CAFEDIEMDC.COM

25TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2015 | wjff.org | #wjff2015 38

Irwin P. Edlavitch Building 1529 16th Street NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 518-9400 washingtondcjcc.org

WASHINGTON DCJCC PRESIDENT Rose H. Cohen WASHINGTON DCJCC STAFF Carole R. Zawatsky, Chief Executive Officer Ilya Tovbis, WJFF Director Sara Loeb, WJFF Coordinator Lily Singer, WJFF Associate Brittiany Broadwater, WJFF Box Office & Operations Coordinator WJFF FILM COUNCIL Dina Gold, Co-Chair Sid Moskowitz, Co-Chair Patty Abramson Michele Berman Ed Cohen Sara Cohen Alan Malasky Joy Midman Diane Wattenberg Aviva Kempner, WJFF Advisor Miriam Mörsel Nathan, WJFF Director Emerita WJFF – CORE VOLUNTEERS Roz Cohen, Special Events Mark Raisher, Transportation