THURSDAY, APRIL 28th
Jewish Themed Films
NEW PLAZA CINEMA at the WEST END THEATER
263 WEST 86th STREET, NY, NY
JOE'S VIOLIN
Directed by Kahane Cooperman
A 91-year-old Holocaust survivor donates his violin to an instrument drive, changing the life of a 12-year-old schoolgirl from the Bronx and unexpectedly, his own. Academy Award Nominated short.
SAVING THE IRAQI JEWISH ARCHIVES: A JOURNEY OF IDENTITY
Directed by Adriana Davis & Carole Basri
"Saving the Iraqi Jewish Archives" (2020) is a journey to rescue the identity of Iraqi Jews through the miraculous discovery of over 20,000 cultural, personal and religious artifacts taken from the community as it fled persecution. Through Iraqi Jewish voices, we bear witness to their struggles surviving ethnic cleansing and preserving the heritage for future generations. www.SavingIraqiJewishArchivesFilm.com
NESHAMAH
Directed by Tony Doupe'
A brother and sister must decide whether to grant their father's 80th birthday wish.
"KINDERLAND"
Directed by Amy Grappell
“Kinderland," tells the story of two rival Jewish summer camps – one Communist, the other Socialist – founded in upstate New York in the 1920s, and still in existence today. Both camps were established to inspire social-mindedness in their youth and have cultivated new generations of progressive activists for nearly a century. Despite numerous commonalities, they enjoyed a legendary feud from opposite ends of Sylvan Lake. In response to the devastating impact of the Trump era and the accompanying rise in intolerance and inequality, today’s campers, a largely secular multi-ethnic group, prioritize shared values over philosophical differences and attempt to join forces in the ongoing fight for equality and justice. What makes KINDERLAND both exceptional and timely is that it presents a history of political consciousness in America, while highlighting the ongoing re-emergence of critical social issues and the ways divisiveness is a primary impediment to establishing real and permanent change.
THE DAY BEFORE CREATION
Directed by Mira Amiras
Malkah is just a little kid when her father tries to teach her to read Torah. But they don't get very far. As Malkah reads aloud, her questions multiply. They take her on a lifelong journey deeper and deeper into Jewish mystical texts, far off places, encounters with ancient gods, and ultimately into the nature of existence itself. Malkah discovers an earlier, hidden creation story right inside the one offered on the surface of Genesis.
The book MALKAH’S NOTEBOOK: A Journey into the Mystical Aleph Bet, continues the journey.
CHEMISTRY READ
Directed by Norm Lang
After a hiatus in her acting career, Toni's agent gets her a "chemistry read" with the reality show, rapper Top Dogg for his upcoming movie. Their paths have crossed before; now she has to face his entourage, and he has to face his childhood.
JULIE LEAVES THE NEST
Directed by Rich West
Julie knows exactly what her wedding should feel like. No one else in the family has the same idea. What could possibly go wrong?
QUARANTWEEN: THE MUSICAL
Directed by Asad Javed
Quarantween: the Musical is a digital special celebrating the resilience of a group of 9-year-old kids. When Coronavirus sends them all home from school, canceling the school musical they’d been rehearsing for and excited about, they figure out a way to stage and perform their own musical online.
THE TRUST
Directed by Harris Shore
Midsummer, 2020. When trophy wife Karen Davis gets the dreaded call from the hospital that her husband, Harvey has died of COVID 19, she promptly summons their attorney, Stan to read Harvey's trust to her and their son, Barron on Zoom. But when Harvey's new CPA arrives unexpectedly, Karen's life is turned from upside down to inside out - and who is that at the door in the middle of a pandemic?
The Last Laugh 7:00 pm
Followed by director Ferne Perlstein and comedian Judy Gold In Conversation with Montclair Film Festival Artists Director Tom Hall
Ticket Link
THE LAST LAUGH
Directed by Ferne Pearlstein
The Last Laugh dares to ask: "Are we allowed to joke about the Holocaust?" This outrageously funny and thought-provoking film puts the question to legends and critical thinkers including Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, Gilbert Gottfried, and many others (including survivors), offering fresh insights into the Holocaust and what else-9/11, AIDS, racism-is or isn't off-limits in a society that prizes freedom of speech. After screening at over 100 festivals (including Tribeca, HotDocs, Traverse City, BFI London, Rome, IDFA), and Certified Fresh at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, THE LAST LAUGH was released theatrically in over 25 cities and broadcast on Independent Lens/PBS where it was runner-up for that season's Audience Award.
Ferne Pearlstein is an award-winning producer, director, cinematographer and editor with over 30 years experience. A member of the documentary branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and winner of the Sundance Cinematography Prize for Ramona Diaz’s “Imelda,” she has directed, produced and/or photographed films from Japan to Haiti to Uganda to Guyana to Burma, where she snuck her 16mm camera into the rebel army bases of the Karen Liberation Army. One of only a handful of female DPs featured in
Kodak’s long-running On Film ad campaign, Ferne has had four features premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, most recently the critically acclaimed “The Last Laugh” starring Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, Susie Essman, Judy Gold, David Cross, Alan Zweibel, and many others. Ferne’s recent work with comedians intersects with her activism as part of Persisticon, a feminist group that stages comedy events to raise money for woman and BIPOC political candidates. In 2020 she was one of only eight documentary filmmakers worldwide chosen by the UN and Google to direct a series of PSAs about building a sustainable planet.
From Our Friends at Congregation Rodeph Sholom
May 7th
