LISA
THE MAELSTROM - A FAMILY CHRONICLE
LIEBE PERLA
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A TRIAL IN PRAGUE
US PREMIERE
Zuzana Justman, USA, 2000; 83m
In an infamous political show trial in 1952, fourteen prominent
Czechoslovakian communists, eleven of them Jewish, were tried on charges
of high treason and espionage. Though they were innocent, all fourteen
"confessed" and were either hanged or received life sentences. What led
these men to such a passionate belief in communism that they gave up
their lives for it? A TRIAL IN PRAGUE examines this enigmatic episode in
history, exploring, in particular, the role that Judaism played in the
proceedings.
preceded by
OBSESSED WITH JEWS
Jeff Krulik, USA, 1998; 8m, video
A delightfully quirky documentary about a man, Neil Keller, enraptured
by his hobby of cataloguing notable Jews from all walks of life -
entertainers, politicians, bullfighters and more. Keller gives a tour of
his astounding collection of memorabilia, which amounts to a surprising
and devastatingly funny visual record of famous Jews throughout history.
Sun Jan 14: 4:15; Tue Jan 16: 8:15
THE SKY IS FALLING
Antonio Frazzi, Andrea Frazzi, Italy, 2000; 105m, English subtitles
Set in 1943 Tuscany, this thoughtful Italian film tells the story of two
orphaned sisters who come to stay at the stately, country home of their
aunt (Isabella Rossellini) and German Jewish intellectual uncle (Jeroen
Krabbè). A delicate drama unfolds as war rages all around, and the
sisters’ new guardians struggle to maintain a stable home life, even
when Nazi soldiers take up residence at the villa.
Sun Jan 14: 6:30; Mon Jan 15: 1
LISA
US PREMIERE
Pierre Grimblat, France, 2001; 109m, English subtitles
Jeanne Moreau stars in this gripping drama of wartime love and the
persistence of memory. A young Parisian filmmaker named Sam researches a
pre-war Jewish movie actor whose disappearance has never been fully
explained. He forges a special relationship with Lisa (Moreau), who had
been the actor's lover in the tumultuous 1930s, and in the process
begins to better understand his own past. Beautiful cinematography and
unforgettable performances illuminate this suspenseful tale. Air transportation for Jeanne Moreau provided by Air France and hotel accomodations provided by The Towers at The New York Palace.
preceded by
PURIM
Deborah Phillips, Germany, 1996; 5m
Experimental short celebrating Queen Esther's saving of the Jewish
people and the triumph of beauty and justice.
Sun Jan 14: 8:45; Tue Jan 16: 1;
Wed Jan 17: 5:30
THE MAELSTROM - A FAMILY CHRONICLE
NY PREMIERE
Péter Forgács, The Netherlands, 1997; 60m, video
Continuing his incomparable use of found footage accompanied by haunting
music, director Péter Forgács interweaves home movies about two
families: we follow nine years in the life of a Dutch family, until the
eve of their deportation to Auschwitz; we also become acquainted with
the family of the German wartime governor of occupied Holland. The
juxtaposition of the two creates a powerful irony and a moving visual
experience.
followed by
LIEBE PERLA
Shachar Rozen, Israel, 1999; 63m, video
This unusual film documents the history of a family of little people
kept alive during the Holocaust by Mengele in order to study their
behavior. The film’s story unfolds in modern-day Germany as a
friend of the family searches for lost film footage taken during the
war, and its strange and often difficult subject matter is handled with
a remarkable dignity.
Mon Jan 15: 3:30; Tue Jan 16: 5:30
GRÜNINGER'S FALL
Richard Dindo, Switzerland, 1997; 100m, English subtitles
This film is a testament to the courage of Paul Grüninger, a Swiss
police chief who saved the lives of hundreds of Jews before WWII, losing
his job and reputation in the process. Filmed in the same courtroom
where Grüninger stood trial in 1940, former Jewish refugees saved by his
heroism take the witness stand in a remarkably compelling latter-day
defense.
Mon Jan 15: 6:15; Wed Jan 17: 3:15
CLOSE TO HOME
WORLD PREMIERE
Georg Hartmann, Abby Kirban, USA, 2000; 75m
By turns charming and tragic, this home movie of a Jewish American and
her German boyfriend as they travel across Germany brings the conflicts
that have faced both Germans and Jews since WWII into focus.
preceded by
THE MARCH
Abraham Ravett, USA, 1999; 25m
An experimental film recounting the 1945 Death March from Auschwitz
recalled by the filmmaker’s mother.
Mon Jan 15: 8:15; Wed Jan 17: 1
THE WANDERING JEW (aka THE LIFE OF THEODORE HERZL)
Otto Kreisler, Austria, 1921; 59m, silent with English intertitles
This early film biography about the founder of modern Zionism depicts a
young Herzl learning about Jewish persecution throughout the ages, an
education that led to the development of his theory of political Zionism
as a solution to anti-Semitism.
preceded by
CONVERGENCE
WORLD PREMIERE
Paula Levine, USA, 2000; 9m, video
An elongated glance at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
and
GEOGRAPHIE
NY PREMIERE
Deborah Phillips, Germany, 2000; 2m
An abstract and colorful meditation on Jewish geography.
Tue Jan 16: 3:30
SCOTTSBORO: AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY
Daniel Anker, Barak Goodman, USA, 2000; 82m, video
For the first time on film, this breathtaking documentary tells the
story of nine black teenagers accused of raping two white women in
Alabama in the 30s, and of the trial that changed the politicization of
race in America. Samuel Leibowitz, the flamboyant Jewish defense lawyer,
stands out among the collection of memorable characters involved in the
case.
Wed Jan 17: 8:15; Thurs Jan 18: 3:15
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