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FIRE BIRDS: Review by Jan Lisa Huttner

Black Comedy from Israel about a man determined to crash “the world’s most exclusive club” of wealthy Tel Aviv widows who also happen to be Holocaust survivors. Trust me, this is a “laughing thru tears” experience worthy of Sholem Aleichem with finely-drawn characters and an infectious “tickle the ribs” plot. (JLH: 4/5) Review by FF2 […]

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BOY 23

An untold story of WW2, Belisario Franca’s Boy 23 tells the forgotten history of Brazil’s support of Nazism and the horrifying account of one boy’s experience with the racist experiments performed by Nazi sympathizers there. (EML: 3.5/5) Review by FF2 Associate Eliana M. Levenson The film begins with a teacher recounting a student’s admission that […]

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ON THE MAP

Dani Menkin’s On the Map has all the drama and emotion of the classic sports movie, with the added benefit of the real life accounts of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s struggle to achieve basketball greatness in winning the 1977 European Cup. (EML: 4.5/5) Review by FF2 Associate Eliana M. Levenson A ball dribbling. The skid of […]

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DEFYING THE NAZIS: THE SHARPS’ WAR

Using predominately still photos, voiceover, and talking heads style interviews, Ken Burns & Artemis Joukowsky’s documentary Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War retells of the Sharps’ heroism as they sought to help Jews flee Eastern Europe prior to World War II. While often succumbing to the biographical blackhole of fact, the film provides glimpses of true […]

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THREE DAYS IN AUSCHWITZ

Now, less than a century since the Holocaust, already the memory has seemed to fade, dimming for those who only hear about it as part of a broader history lesson. In Three Days in Auschwitz, writer/director Philippe Mora attempts to bring the atrocities of the Holocaust, particularly the horrific murders that took place at Auschwitz-Birkenau, […]

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A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS (EML)

Natalie Portman’s directorial debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness explores the psychological toll on those who find life to fall short of their expectations. Utilizing language, location and raw emotional acting performances, Portman creates an atmosphere as much as she tells a story, leaving the audience with a sense of longing and a thirst […]

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JERUZALEM

Set against the backdrop of one of the holiest cities in the world, Jeruzalem follows two American tourists as their dream vacation turns into an unholy nightmare. (EML: 3.5/5) Review by FF2 Associate Eliana M. Levenson  With a twist on found footage, the Paz brothers’ horror film, Jeruzalem uses the tech of “Smart Glass” as […]

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KARSKI & THE LORDS OF HUMANITY

Told through a combination of live footage and animated illustration, Slawomir Grunberg’s Karski & the Lords of Humanity brings to life the story of one man’s courageous efforts to share the atrocities facing Poland’s Jews during World War II. (EML: 4.5/5) Review by FF2 Associate Eliana Levenson Using live footage from Claude Lanzmann’s comprehensive Holocaust documentary “Shoah,” Grunberg […]

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ANITA B

Opens tomorrow in NYC. Review coming soon.

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BODY & SOUL: THE STATE OF THE JEWISH NATION

Opens tomorrow in NYC. Review coming soon.

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