ACROSS THE WATERS / Fuglene Over Sundet

BOSTON PREMIERE Saturday, May 5, 4:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)

Tuesday, May 8, 7:30 pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre

Dir: Nicolo Donato | Denmark | 2017 | 95m | Danish w/ English subtitles

A musician and his family make a

frantic escape from Nazi-occupied

Denmark, in this white-knuckled

Danish drama. Enjoying the

nightlife in 1943 Copenhagen, jazz

guitarist Arne Itkin (David Dencik,

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) initially

dismisses his wife Miriam’s (Danica

Curcic, Wallender) concerns about

rumors of the round-up of Danish

Jews. A night raid, however, forces

the couple to flee with their

young son to the fishing village

of Gilleleje, where refugees await

passage to Sweden by boat. As the Gestapo and Danish collaborators close in, the

family puts its fate in the hands of strangers whose motives are not clear. Director

Nicolo Donato, whose grandfather was one of the ferrymen, masterfully ratchets up

the tension, heightening the suspense until the very last frame.

CO-PRESENTED BY: Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry at Brandeis University; Center for German & European Studies at Brandeis UniversityPARTNERS: Scandinavian Cultural Center; Dept. of Near Eastern Judaic Studies at Brandeis Univ.

AN ACT OF DEFIANCE

MASSACHUSETTS PREMIERESpecial Event Commemorating Nelson Mandela’s Centennial

Wednesday, May 9, 7:30 pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre

Friday, May 11, 7:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Alfond)

Welcome by JudyAnn Bigby, Executive Director, South Africa Partners

Dir: Jean van de Velde | Netherlands/South Africa | 2017 | 123m | Eng & Afrikaans w/ Eng sub

This rousing historical drama

is based on the real events of

the pivotal 1963 Rivonia Trial

in apartheid South Africa when

Nelson Mandela and nine of his

black and Jewish compatriots

faced death sentences, having

been charged with conspiracy to

commit sabotage. White Afrikaner

lawyer Bram Fischer (the excellent

Peter Paul Muller) risks everything

to defend the activists, all the

while hiding his own ties to the

resistance. A political thriller full

of courtroom intrigue, the film

is also a powerful exploration of

the sacrifices required to stand

against injustice. Winner of nine film festival audience and jury awards, including

honors for best film, actor, actress, and script.

CO-PRESENTED BY: Sarnat Center for the Study of Anti-Jewishness at Brandeis UniversityPARTNERS: Facing History & Ourselves; South Africa Partners

THE CAKEMAKER

MASSACHUSETTS PREMIERESaturday, May 5, 6:30 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)

Friday, May 11, 2:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Alfond)

Dir: Ofir Raul Graizer | Germany/Israel | 2017 | 105m | English, Hebrew & German w/ Eng sub

One of the most moving, original, and emotionally surprising films of the year,

The Cakemaker is a must see. Graizer’s stunningly acted film explores the evolving

connection between Thomas, a gay German pastry chef (Tim Kalkhof), and

Jerusalem café owner Anat (Sarah Adler, Jellyfish) in the aftermath of a personal

tragedy that unknowingly ties the two together. This Israeli-German production

is an indelible film about loneliness, love, family, and the fluidity of identity—

religious, national, sexual. Also starring Zohar Strauss (Eyes Wide Open NCJF’10),

Roy Miller, and Sandra Sade. Winner, Ecumenical Jury Award, Karlovy Vary Film

Festival; Winner, Jerusalem Film Festival Lia Van Leer Award & Best Editing Award.

CO-PRESENTED BY: Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University; Consulate General of Israel to New EnglandPARTNERS: Wicked Queer Film Festival; Israel Campus Roundtable; Goethe-Institut Boston

THE INVISIBLES / Die Unsichtbaren

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE Sunday, May 6, 11:00 am @ Coolidge Corner Theatre

Thursday, May 10, 5:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)

Dir: Claus Raefle | Germany | 2017 | 110m | German w/ English subtitles

In June 1943, as the Nazis

declared the Reich judenfrei

“free of Jews,” thousands of

Jews were living in hiding

or under false identities in

Berlin. In this suspenseful and

fascinating film, filmmaker

Claus Raefle focuses on the

stories of several young people

(nicknamed “U-Boats” or

“submarines”) who, through

various means, attempted to

evade capture. The Invisibles

brings narrative and emotional

intensity to these astonishingly

true stories by using a hybrid of

documentary and highly accomplished drama (gorgeously photographed by Joerg

Widmer, whose credits include Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life and Wim Wenders’s

Pina). Starring Maximilian Mauff (Bridge of Spies), Florian Lukas (Good Bye Lenin!), and

Andreas Schmidt (The Counterfeiters). Winner, Audience Award, Mill Valley Film Festival.

CO-PRESENTED BY: Goethe-Institut Boston New Films From Germany SeriesPARTNERS: Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry at Brandeis University; Center for German & European Studies at Brandeis University; Israel Campus Roundtable

THE LAST SUIT / El último traje

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE Sunday, May 6, 7:30 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)

Dir: Pablo Solarz | Argentina/Spain | 2017 | 86m | Spanish, German, Polish & Yiddish w/ Eng sub

In Argentine filmmaker Pablo Solarz’s bittersweet road movie, Jewish tailor Abraham

Bursztein (Miguel Ángel Solá) is being put out to pasture by his children, who’ve sold

his Buenos Aires house and booked him into a retirement home. Refusing to bow to

family pressure, he sets off on an adventure halfway around the world. Undeterred

by travel mishaps and with help from a cast of kindly strangers along the way, the

sharply-dressed suit maker

travels by train across

Europe to Poland, seeking

out an old friend. Heartfelt

and charming, with a

wonderful comedic flavor,

The Last Suit reminds us of

the importance of family,

friendship, and keeping

your word. Winner, Santa

Barbara Film Festival Nueva

Vision Award for Spain/Latin

America Cinema.

PARTNER: Argentinean Jewish Relief Committee

THE MUSEUM

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE Thursday, May 3, 6:30 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)

Q&A with Filmmaker Ran Tal

Welcome by Yehuda Yaakov, Consul General of Israel to New England

Dir: Ran Tal | Israel | 2017 | 74 min | English & Hebrew w/ English subtitles

Ran Tal’s magnificent new film The Museum with its unprecedented look behind the

scenes at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem isn’t a conventional documentary about

the history of the museum,

or its world class collection of

500,000 objects (including the

Dead Sea Scrolls); it’s a lyrical

work in and of itself, a poetic

celebration of storytelling

and humanity. Tal (Children

of the Sun NCJF’08) is one of

Israel’s most accomplished

and creative documentarians

and his genius lies in

revealing the essence of a

place or an idea. Gorgeously

photographed, poignant,

and wry, The Museum artfully

curates moments and details,

introducing us to a diverse

range of curators, artists,

guards, and visitors from around the world, each with a story to tell.

PARTNERS: Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University;Consulate General of Israel to New England; Israel Campus RoundtableSPONSOR: Suzanne Priebatsch

NONE SHALL ESCAPE

EAST COAST PREMIERE–NEW RESTORATION 4k Digital from Original Nitrate Negative

Tuesday, May 8, 5:00 pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre

Q&A with Brandeis Prof. Thomas Doherty, author Hollywood & Hitler

Dir: Andre de Toth | USA | 1944 | 85m | English

The only Hollywood film made during

World War II to depict the events later

known as the Holocaust, None Shall

Escape was released in January 1944

and powerfully imagines a postwar

reckoning in which a United Nations

Tribunal charges a Nazi war criminal with

the murder of Polish Jews. Directed by

Hungarian émigré Andre de Toth, shot

by ace cinematographer Lee Garmes,

scripted by Lester Cole, a future member of the Blacklisted Hollywood Ten, and

starring Marsha Hunt and Alexander Knox, future members of the Committee

for the First Amendment. Screening of this fascinating film celebrates

Doherty’s new book Show Trial: Hollywood, HUAC & the Birth of the Blacklist.

CO-PRESENTED BY: Brandeis University Alumni AssociationPARTNERS: Brandeis National Committee; Facing History & Ourselves; Jewish Heritage Center

THE PRINCE AND THE DYBBUK NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

Sunday, May 6, 2:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Alfond)

Dir: Piotr Rosolowski & Elwira Niewiera | Poland/Germany | 2017 | 82m | English,

Italian, Spanish, Polish & German w/

English subtitles

The director of the Yiddish

classic The Dybbuk is variously

remembered as a Polish aristocrat,

Hollywood producer, a reprobate

and liar, and an open homosexual.

But who, really, was Michal

Waszyński (born Moshe Waks), the

son of a poor Ukrainian Jewish

blacksmith, who died as Prince

Michal Waszyński in Italy? Waszyński

made 40 films with Sophia Loren,

Anna Magnani, Orson Welles and others, but his most spectacular creation was his

own fabulist life. A fascinating, modern take on the Wandering Jew, The Prince and

the Dybbuk asks whether it’s ever possible to excise one’s roots, and at what cost.

Winner, Venice Film Festival, Best Documentary on Cinema. See also: THE DYBBUK

CO-PRESENTED BY: Center for German & European Studies at Brandeis University

RGB

SNEAK PREVIEW Wednesday, May 2, 7:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Alfond)

Q&A with Filmmaker Betsy West

Dir: Betsy West & Julie Cohen | USA | 2018 | 97m | English

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader

Ginsburg’s vigorously argued opinions have

earned this tiny, soft-spoken, intellectual giant

rock star status and the nickname “Notorious

RBG.” RBG traces Ginsburg’s rich personal life

and her barrier-busting career as a trailblazing

lawyer, advocate, and judge. In the 1970s,

she made legal history arguing gender-bias

cases before the (all male) U.S. Supreme Court.

At 84—still inspired by the lawyers who

defended free speech during the Red Scare—Ginsburg continues her tenacious

defense of equal rights. “A fist-pumping, crowd-pleasing documentary that reminds

people of Ginsburg’s vitality and importance, now more than ever.” —Indiewire

SHELTER BOSTON PREMIERE

Thursday, May 10, 7:30 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)

Dir: Eran Riklis | Israel/Germany/France | 2017 | 93m | English, Hebrew & Arabic w/ Eng sub

John le Carré meets Lemon Tree in this gripping psychological neo-noir from

acclaimed Israeli director Eran Riklis (Dancing Arabs NCJF’15, Human Resources

Manager NCJF’11, Syrian Bride) where nothing is safe and no one can be trusted.

Mossad agent Naomi (Neta

Riskin, Norman) is dispatched

from Israel to a safe house

in Hamburg charged with

“babysitting” an important

asset: Mona, a beautiful

Lebanese informant (Golshifteh

Farahani, star of Jim Jarmusch’s

Paterson). Mona is recovering

from plastic surgery that’s

altered her appearance and a

bond develops between the

two women. But in this high-

stakes game of deception,

loyalties will be tested. “Shelter

is fun because, like Naomi,

the audience gets seduced by

Mona.” –Jerusalem Post

CO-PRESENTED BY: Consulate General of Israel to New England; Israel Campus Roundtable; Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University

CUBA’S FORGOTTEN JEWELS

NEW ENGLAND PREMIEREWednesday, May 9, 5:30 pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre

Q&A with Filmmakers Judy Kreith & Robin Truesdale

Moderated by Dalia Wassner, Hadassah-Brandeis Institute

Dir: Judy Kreith & Robin Truesdale | USA | 2017 | 46m | English

This award-winning

documentary explores the

little known story of the Jewish

refugees who escaped Nazi-

occupied Europe and found a

safe haven on the Caribbean

island of Cuba. After a wave of

Jewish immigration to Cuba in

the 1920’s and 30’s, the island

shut its doors to immigrants. In

1940, Cuba changed course and

took in 6,000 Jewish refugees,

including hundreds of diamond

cutters who turned the small tropical island into a major diamond-polishing center.

Interviewees (including co-director Judy Kreith’s mother Marion) recall their lives in

wartime Havana: the draw of Cuban food, music and dance, its language and people.

CO-PRESENTED BY: Hadassah-Brandeis InstitutePARTNERS: Facing History & Ourselves; Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston

THE DYBBUK / Der Dibuk

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE NEW DIGITAL RESTORATION FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR JEWISH FILM

Sunday, May 6, 4:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Alfond)

Q&A with Sharon Pucker Rivo & Lisa Rivo

Dir: Michal Waszynski | Poland | 1937 | 123m | Yiddish w/ new English subtitles

In this mystical tale of star crossed lovers and supernatural possession,

two friends tempt fate by betrothing their unborn children. Years later

when the pledge is broken and the couple’s love is thwarted, Channon

the young lover (Leon Liebgold, Tevye) turns to the dangerous power of

the Kabbalah to win back his love (Lili Liliana, Kol Nidre). Made in Poland

on the eve of WWII in a stylized, Expressionistic manner that has been

called “Hasidic Gothic,” The Dybbuk, based on S. Ansky’s play, brought

together the best talents of Polish Jewry. “One of the most solemn

attestations to the mystic powers of the spirit the imagination has ever

purveyed to the film reel.” --Parker Tyler, Classics of the Foreign Film

CO-PRESENTED BY: Jewish Arts Collaborative; Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry at Brandeis University

HEADING HOME

MASSACHUSETTS PREMIERE–MOTHER’S DAY EVENT GRAND SLAM Sunday, May 13, 2:00 pm @ Museum of Fine Arts (Remis)

Q&A with Filmmaker Seth Kramer

Dir: Daniel Miller, Jeremy Newberger & Seth Kramer | USA | 2018 | 85m | English

A new chapter in the

enduring love story

of Jews and Baseball,

Heading Home is the

stirring underdog

chronicle of the

unexpected triumph

of Israel’s national

baseball team at the

2017 World Baseball

Classic. Absolutely

no one was betting on Team Israel, but that was before they beat Cuba, South Korea,

Taiwan and the Netherlands. Team Israel’s scrappy line up included several Jewish MLB

players--including former Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway--who found themselves

exploring their Jewish identity for the first time while representing Israel on the world

stage. A home run for audiences of all ages.

CO-PRESENTED BY: Boston Jewish Film Festival

SPECIAL EVENT

OPENINGNIGHT

May 2-13, 2018www.jewishfilm.org

The National Center for Jewish Film’s 21st ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL

ARCHIVETREASURE

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