Currently Browsing: Films/DVDs
From October 25th through November 5th, Metro Chicago will be hosting the 12th Annual Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema at theaters in Chicago, Glenview and Skokie. On Wednesday, November 1st, nestled in the midst of this twelve day celebration of Israeli filmmaking, sits the 6th Annual Films By & About Women, showcasing the work of […]
Told from two perspectives, Someone to Run With directed by Oded Davidoff and based on the novel by David Grossman, follows two teenagers on parallel journeys of salvation and self-discovery. (EML: 3.5/5) Review by FF2 Associate Eliana M. Levenson “Tamar” (Bal Belfer) never goes anywhere without her dog, “Dinka.” Living on the streets, Tamar busks to […]
On Account of a Hat. In one of Sholem Aleichem’s best–loved stories, a wheeler dealer is forever “negotiating transactions” until “one day God takes pity on him, and for the first time in his career—are you listening?—he actually works out a deal.” But on account of a hat, exhilaration turns into farce and when he […]
I am not just in love with Joseph Cedar’s new film Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, I am ensnared and somewhat obsessed. I have now seen Norman three times, first at a critic’s screening in mid-March, then at the Lincoln Plaza Cinema on opening weekend in NYC (the night […]
Spring brings two new documentary films from Israel to Chicago. One I loved. The other? No so much. So let’s start with the spinach. Mr. Gaga, which opens tonight at the Music Box Theatre on Southport, is Tomer Heymann’s new film about Ohad Naharin, the artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company. Chicago has long […]
Niki Caro’s The Zookeeper’s Wife recounts the efforts of Antonina Żabiński and her husband, Jan, who risked their lives during World War II to harbor Jewish refugees in the basement of their zoo during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw. (EML: 3.5/5) Review by FF2 Associate Eliana M. Levenson Warsaw, Poland, pre-invasion. Happy. Simple. Unafraid. “Antonina […]
Sneak Peeks from the 2017 NY Sephardi Film Festival: Letters from Bagdad, Dimona Twist and The Women’s Balcony.
From IMDb: Ohad Naharin, artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company, is regarded as one of the most important choreographers in the world. Meeting him at a critical turning point in his personal life, this spirited and insightful documentary will introduce you to a man with great artistic integrity and an extraordinary vision. Filmed over […]
From IMDb: A portrait of the Israeli people told through food. We shot in fine restaurants, in home kitchens, wineries, cheese makers, on the street and much more. Americans see Israelis and Palestinians as always in conflict. Those are not the people of Israel for the most part. “The Search for Israeli Cuisine” will show the […]
After considerable effort director Yariv Mozer and editor Yael Perlov have located both the images and the audio that David Perlov (Yael Perlov’s father) captured when he interviewed David Ben-Gurion — Israel’s Founding Father — at his Negev home in 1968. Yasher Ko’ach! (JLH: 5/5) Review by FF2 Editor-in-Chief Jan Lisa Huttner Born in Brazil in […]