From: kahn@starbase.mitre.org (Martha Kahn)
Subject: Washington DC Jewish Film Festival
Organization: The MITRE Corporation
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 12:37:46 GMT


This is the third year of the Washington DC Jewish Film Festival.
Each movie has a discussion which is free and open to the public.
A couple of movies seem to deal with topics which have been discussed 
recently in scj - The Holy Office is about persecution of secret Jews 
in Mexico in 1563; Still Only This Forest and With Raised Hands are
about the Holocaust in Poland. Another interesting topic in the festival
is the Scandinavian Jewish experience. The following information is from
a brochure about the festival. I apologize for any typos.
- Martha

THE WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL, DECEMBER 5-10 & 12-13, 1992
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All shows are at the Biograph Theatre except 12/12 which is at the
American Film Institute, Kennedy Center. (Prices, addresses, phone
number at end of article.)

FOR INFORMATION CALL: The DC JCC (202) 775-1765

* - means Parental discretion advised. Some scenes may be inappropriate
   for children under 17.

     Leon the Pig Farmer*
     -------------------
     Saturday, December 5, 7 pm and 9:45 pm
     (U.K., 1992) American Premiere.
Hilarious comedy about a nice Jewish boy from London with and unusual
identity problem - Dad (that is, his real Dad) is in the bacon business.
Winner of the Charles Chaplin Award for Best Feature Film , Edinburgh
Film Festival, 1992, and International Critic's Prize, 
Venice Film Festival, 1992.

DISCUSSION: 9 pm and 12 midnight
Gary Sinyor, Co-writer, Co-director, Co-producer

     Mamele (Little Mother)
     ----------------------
     Sunday, December 6, 1:30 pm and 4:15 pm
     (Poland, 1938) Washington Primiere of Restored Print.
     Yiddish with new English subtitles.
Renowned Yiddish actress Molly Picon stars in this romping comedy about a
large family whose eldest daughter takes over the role of mother but never
seems to get the proper appreciation.

DISCUSSION: 3:15 pm
            The Role of the Jewish Woman in Eastern Europe and 
            Her Portrayal on the Screen
Panelists: Dr. Hasia Diner, Univ. of Md., & Jane Horowitz, Film and Television
           Critic; Aviva Kempner, Moderator

     Still Only This Forest*
     -----------------------
     Sunday, December 6, 6:15 pm and 8:45 pm
     (Poland, 1991) American Premiere.
     Polish with English subtitles.
Gentile, working class housekeeper  helps her employer's young daughter
escape Nazi-occupied Warsaw.

     Preceded by
     With Raised Hands
     -----------------
     (Poland, 1985) 6 min. short film. Washington Premiere. Silent.
Famous Holocaust photo of a young boy with raised hands becomes a 
filmmaker's fantasy about the boy's escape from his fate.

DISCUSSION: 8 pm - Artistic Portraits of Jewish Escape during WW11
Panelists: Jan Lomnicki, Director; Ryszarda Hanin, Actress; 
           Mitko Panov, Director

     Sante Fe
     --------
     Monday, December 7, 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm
     (Austria, 1985) Washington Premiere
     German with English subtitles.
Set in 1940, film follows the lives of Jewish European refugees in America,
especially one young man who dreams of a new life in the mythic American
West.

DISCUSSION: 8:30 pm - with Alex Corti, Director

     The Holy Office*
     ---------------
     Tuesday, December 8, 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm
     (Mexico, 1973) Washington Premiere.
     Spanish with English subtitles.
Based on actual events in Mexico, 1563. A family of secret Jews is 
arrested by the Office of the Holy Inquisition of New Spain following
their betrayal by a family member. Eventually, the entire "secret"
Jewish community meets its destruction at the hands of the Inquisition.

DISCUSSION: 8:45 pm - with Dr. Jose Rabasa, Univ. of Md. at College Park.

     The Wordmaker
     -------------
     Wednesday, December 9, 6:30 pm and 9:00 pm
     (Israel, 1992) American Premiere.
     Hebrew with English subtitles.
Story of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, Russian Zionist and settler of Palestine,
whose life's work and obsession was the reconstruction of Hebrew as a 
modern language.

DISCUSSION: 8:00 pm - Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and the Rebirth of Hebrew
Panelists: Katrie Schory, Producer; Dr. Max Ticktin, George Washington
           University; Aviva Kempner, Filmmaker, Moderator.

     Tel Aviv Stories*
     ----------------
     Thursday, December 10, 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm
     (Israel, 1992) Washington Premiere.
     Hebrew with English subtitles.
Three stories with comic and ironic views of modern women's lives in
cosmopolitan Tel Aviv.

DISCUSSION: 8:30 pm - Equality for Israeli Women: Past, Present, and Future
Panelists: Ada Shamir, Legal Advisor, Israeli Women's Network, New Israel
           Law Fellow; Dassi Stern, Attache for Women's Affairs, Embassy of
           Israel.

     '66 Was a Good Year for Tourism
     -------------------------------
     Saturday, December 12, 7:00 pm and 9:15 pm
     American Film Institute, Kennedy Center
     (Israel, 1992) Washington Premiere.
     English and Hebrew with English subtitles.
Israeli Director Amit Goren's documentary about his family's relocation
to New York City in 1966 and the different lives that evolved for his
parents, two younger brothers and himself. Winner of the Wolgen Award for 
Best Documentary Film, Jerusalem Film Festival, 1992.

DISCUSSION: 8:15 pm - with Amit Goren, Director

Northern Exposure: The Scandinavian-Jewish Experience - Sunday December 13
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     Good Evening, Mr. Wallenberg*
     ----------------------------
     Sunday, 12/13, 11:00 am
     (Sweden, 1990) Washington Premiere.
     Swedish with English subtitles.
Swedish gentile Raoul Wallenberg's heroic effort to save Hungarian Jews
is examined in a depiction of a destroyed world where, unbelievably,
hope remains alive.

DISCUSSION: 1:00 pm - with Jacob Wallenberg, Vice Chairman, 
                      Raoul Wallenberg Committee of U.S.

     Freud Leaving Home*
     ------------------
     Sunday, 12/13, 2:00 pm and 4:30 pm
     (Sweden, 1991) Washington Premiere.
     Swedish with English subtitles.
Youngest daughter of the Cohen family, 25-year old "Freud", is
confronted with changed family relationships as they reunite in
Stockholm from Israel and the U.S. to celebrate their mother's
birthday.

DISCUSSION: 3:45 pm

     Sofie*
     -----
     Sunday, 12/13, 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm
     (Denmark/Norway/Sweden, 1992) Washington Premiere
     Danish with English subtitles.
Beautifully realized journey through the life of a Jewish woman, in 
late 19th century Copenhagen, as a daughter, wife, and mother viewed
from within the warm, but closed boundaries of a loving family circle.

DISCUSSION: 9:30 pm - Liv Ullman, internationally recognized actress makes
            her directorial debut and will discuss her film after screening.

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Presented by the District of Columbia Jewish Community Center,
             the Washington Jewish Week,
             and the Embassy of Israel

Price: $7 - DCJCC member, $8 nonmembers, $5 Seniors and Students
       All  ticket purchases non-refundable.
       Limited number of free seats available to patrons unable to
       afford the cost of admission. Call DCJCC (202)775-1765.
       All discussions free and open to public

December 5-10 and 13
The Biograph Theatre, 2819 M St., Washington, DC, (202) 333-2697
Box Office Hours: 1 - 11:30 pm daily
       
December 12
The American Film Institute, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
(202)785-4601, Box Office Hours: 5 - 9 pm daily

Handicapped Access Available at both locations.

Film Festival Director - Aviva Kempner
Co-Director - Miriam Morsel Nathan
Festival Coordinator - Rachel A. Bernhardt