A RADIANT GIRL, just one of many films you can check out at the 42nd Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival! Courtesy of Film Movement.“Get ready?” Sorry. I’m terrible at titles. I’m also too ecstatic to even think about a nice title for this blog post because the 42nd Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival begins TOMORROW! WOW. That’s all I have to say. It’s a cliché to say, “it’s been a year,” I know, but IT. HAS BEEN. A YEAR. Every year at PJFM can get stressful, just like any film non-profit in the world. It’s also no surprise that when COVID-19 snuck up in 2020, everything became… more stressful; crazily stressful and scary. It is now 2022, and even though COVID is still lurking around, things feel different here at PJFM. We’re back for our 42nd film festival, and this time, it feels like movies are BACK. After two long, excruciating years of cinema, movies are back, filmgoers are flocking to the theaters, and everyone is thrilled to be returning to the city’s longest-running film festival. PJFF42, here we come!
There were some decisions made at PJFM this year, the biggest one being reducing the film festival to one week instead of two. Although this is lesser movies, it allows for more patrons to see everything. Now, you may be thinking, “But that’s it? What about the rest of 2023? What about the dozens and dozens of other incredible movies you could show?” The biggest misconception about PJFM is that we only host the Jewish film festival every November. Oh no. We present YEAR-ROUND programming, and 2023 is going to be an exciting one! I won’t say what we have planned, but the months in between November 2022 and 2023 will be filled with special events and exclusive movie premieres, including partnerships with Jewish organizations in the city and on the Main Line. At PJFM, our ultimate goal is to bring the community together and showcase the best in Jewish international cinema and new media content. We hope that this 42nd festival and the months ahead bring joy to all moviegoers.
Let’s take a deeper look at this season’s line-up. (No spoilers, I swear! And I apologize for the hundred exclamation points.):
- Karaoke (Opening Night Film)
Saturday, November 12
7 PM at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish HistoryThis is such a special movie, not to mention it’s just a lot of fun! In Karaoke, we follow an older couple who has fallen a little out of love. This changes when they meet a particularly charismatic figure in their apartment complex, played by the man, the legend…. Lior Ashkenazi! Gorgeously shot, intelligently written, funny, and wonderfully acted with award-winning performances from leads Sasson Gabay and Rita Shukrun, there’s no better movie to open up the festival with than Karaoke. This is writer/director Moshe Rosenthal’s first feature, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.(Can’t make Opening Night? Not to worry. KARAOKE will screen again on Sunday, November 13, 1 PM at Kaiserman JCC.)
- The Levys of Monticello
Sunday, November 13
4 PM at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Special Guest: Director Steven PressmanOh yes, THE Steven Pressman will be here! You won’t want to miss this incredible documentary. Pressman is no stranger to historical docs. In Holy Silence (2020), he explored Pope Pius XI’s reaction to the annihilation of Jews during the Shoah. In his Emmy Award nominated 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. & Mrs. Kraus (2013), he brought us the true story of a Philadelphia couple who risked their lives in traveling to Nazi Germany and helping Jewish children escape from the regime. The Levys of Monticello, which also has a Philly connection, tells us of another unheard-of slice of American history. What ends up is an oddly moving and hopeful film about the power of resilience.(Can’t make this one? THE LEVYS OF MONTICELLO will screen again on Monday, November 14, 2 PM at Gratz College, Mandell Education Campus.)
- Where Life Begins
Sunday, November 13
7:30 PM at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish HistoryThe setting. The cinematography. The subtle, luminous gazes between characters. The music. The etrogs. Where Life Begins is one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen all year, and it’s something that should only be shown on the big screen. What a tremendous work of art this is. Now when I say “art,” I don’t want to scare you, as certain moviegoers don’t like “artsy” films. That’s their prerogative, of course, but Where Life Begins isn’t artsy, despite its echoes of films from the French New Wave and Italian Neorealism. You may call this a love story, but it’s more than that. It’s a tale of two different human beings who form a connection in an unlikely way. There’s not a single character in Where Life Begins that you won’t relate to. I first watched this film on my small computer screen over the summer, and by the end, I couldn’t even form words. Go in surprised for Where Life Begins. If you haven’t already, don’t read the plot. Just go in, and you will be positively moved. I guarantee it.(Can’t make this one? WHERE LIFE BEGINS will screen again on Wednesday, November 16, 2 PM at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.)
- A Radiant Girl
Monday, November 14
7 PM at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish HistoryWe were all young once. We all have those memories where we could sense something unfortunate was happening in our lives – a divorce, a sick member in the family, etc. – but we pushed through it. We continued to enjoy our lives. Remember the phrase “YOLO?” You only live once. You could describe that in A Radiant Girl. You may call this movie a Holocaust film, but for me, it’s less of that and more coming-of-age, a story about the innocent years of our youth and the escape from our impending reality. Led by a remarkable performance by Rebecca Marder, A Radiant Girl challenges the traditional Holocaust story we see so often onscreen. This is a film about life and how we must live every day to the fullest.
- The Man in the Basement
Tuesday, November 15
2 PM at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish HistoryWho doesn’t love an intense, pulse-pounding French thriller?! The Man in the Basement From start to finish, Philippe Le Guay’s film – inspired by a true story – traps you and never lets go. Although it follows the traditional cat-and-mouse genre set-up in its story, the film feels oddly parallel with the political discourse today. I won’t say anything further because that means I will accidentally give something away. Also, it stars French legends François Cluzet (The Intouchables) and Academy Award nominee Bérénice Bejo (The Artist). That should be incentive enough to see it!(Can’t make this one? THE MAN IN THE BASEMENT will screen again on Thursday, November 17, 7 PM at Ambler Theater.)
- Jewish Shorts
Tuesday, November 15
7 PM at Arden Theatre CompanyI’ve always loved shorts. For me, it’s astounding how a minimal-length motion picture can move, exhilarate, or affect you in just a few minutes. Shorts are also always special because they are a gateway for up-and-coming filmmakers. Look at the famous directors today. How did they get their start? Making short films! This season’s lineup has everything: surreal (I Want to Make a Film About Women), moving (Bourn Kind: The Tiny Kindness Project), impactful (Anne), LGBTQ (Make Me a King), Israeli (Desert Heart), political (Becoming Nakuset), and just plain funny (Minyan Duty). There’s always something for everyone in PJFM’s Jewish Shorts program, and we’ll never stop showing these fantastic movies.
- Reckonings
Wednesday, November 16
7 PM at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish HistoryThe true stories from the Holocaust are endless. ENDLESS. Just when we think we’ve seen it all in the Holocaust film canon, we are mistaken. Reckonings is another true story from the time just after the liberation of the camps and the question of reparations for survivors. Holocaust historian and filmmaker Roberta Grossman (Who Will Write Our History¸ Above and Beyond) is an alumnus of PJFM. Her films, which usually combine archival footage and interviews with recreated scenes, always leave you with a wild range of emotions. Reckonings is another true story that should make you mad. It should make you want to stand up to any injustice in the world and make a difference.
- Hollywood’s Jewish New Wave: Presented by FilmShul
Thursday, November 17
2 PM at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish HistoryEarlier this year, I read an article in the Jewish Exponent about FilmShul, a duo of film historians who do Zoom presentations about the history of Jewish film for organizations. I may have screamed, I admit, because I was so excited! JEWISH. FILM. HISTORIANS. I studied film in college, and in all the diverse electives I saw available – history of horror movies, history of noir movies, history of [insert any kind of genre] movies – I never saw an elective about the history of Jewish film. I was giddy because this is a topic we talk about so much at PJFM. Now, there is a group just like us, using their expansive knowledge to teach everyone about this important genre in American film history. So many people don’t know that there was a huge rise in Jewish film popularity in the 60s and 70s. Laurence Lerman and Irv Slifkin, the presenters of the event, will dive deep into this particular branch of history. You won’t want to miss this!
- Funny Girl: Brunch + Film
Friday, November 18
11 AM at Kaiserman JCCTrue fact (please don’t kill me): I’ve only seen Funny Girl ONCE. I know, I know, this is a terrible truth to admit. If you go on social media as much as I do, you know that Funny Girl has been one of the most trending topics of the year, ever since Lea Michele, who made “Don’t Rain on My Parade” ten times more popular in her years on Glee, was cast as Fanny Brice on Broadway. William Wyler’s film, the movie that made Barbra Streisand a star – and an Academy Award winner – turns 55 next year, and so we just had to present it in this season’s festival! This screening is presented with our friends at Kaiserman JCC and will include brunch. Come hungry, leave singing!
- America (Closing Night Film)
Saturday, November 19
7 PM at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Special Guest: Director Ofir Raul GraizerAlas, we will end our 42nd film festival with America, the latest powerhouse from acclaimed director Ofir Raul Graizer. The best kind of dramas are the nuanced ones, in my opinion. They don’t present the facts and truths in a straightforward way. Such is the way in Ofir’s films. There are hints in every corner of what a character may be thinking or an event that may have happened, but it’s up to the viewer to decide where the truth lies. Like his previous masterpiece, The Cakemaker, America features positively stunning performances and cinematography, with an insightful plot about the effects of the interactions we experience in our lives. If I sound a little vague, I apologize. America is hard to explain if you don’t want to give anything away. I can’t recommend it enough!Closing Night will conclude with a discussion with Ofir himself, followed by a reception just outside the theater. ALL ticket buyers, Sponsors, and All-Access Pass Holders are welcome. It’s going to be a fun night!