From April ’07 Spotlight: Organizers of the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema held a “mini-marathon” on March 11 at the Highland Park Theatre, to whet our appetites for the main event coming in late October. Of the four films they screened, I thought one was excellent (Dear Mr. Waldman), two were good (Kululush and Three Mothers), and one was really bad (King of Beggars).
Although there’s often a time lag, some of the best and/or most popular films from prior festivals eventually do make their way to my shelf. This month I recommend No Longer 17 which played here in November 2004. Technically this is a sequel, following characters created by Yitzhak Yeshurun in Noa at 17 (release in Israel in 1982), but I’ve screened both films and you don’t need to see the first to watch the second. All it takes is an appreciation of the role of kibbutzim in Israeli history and an interest in the fate of the pioneer generation in our new millennium.
For more about No Longer 17, visit:
