Houston Jewish Film Festival
The 9th HJFF takes place March 6–17, 2013, with screenings at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, the MFAH, and Holocaust Museum Houston. It’s a lively, diverse showcase of documentaries, features, and shorts that consider contemporary and historical Jewish themes. Programming is guided by a selection committee chaired by Barbara Bronstein, cochaired by Diane Lee, and honorary chairs Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan. The centerpiece screening at the museum is the Houston premiere of Seymour Schwartz: Home Movie. Filmmaker Jon Schwartz (This Is Our Home, It Is Not for Sale) profiles his father and extended Jewish family in Houston, spanning the twentieth century.
Special thanks to Marilyn Hassid and Amy Rahmani, Jewish Community Center; and Tamara Savage, Holocaust Museum Houston; and Barbara Bronstein (HJFF selection committee chair).
Special Ticket Prices Apply! Individual tickets are $10. MFAH Members, senior adults, students with ID, and JCC members receive a $2 discount on tickets and a $12 discount on passes.
Showtimes
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Sat, Mar 9 7 p.m.
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Post-film discussion with Newton Schwartz Sr. and director/producer Jonathan Schwartz A reception in the museum galleries follows the screening. A Houston story with universal appeal, this film essay is a character study of the filmmaker’s father, as well as a chronicle of a Houston Jewish family spanning the 20th century. Interviews with Seymour Schwartz (1919–2008)—passionate, outspoken, and possessing an exceptional memory—frame a family history richly illustrated by photographs, letters, and historical materials. Schwartz’s early life, service in World War II, and position at ... more info
Showtimes
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Sun, Mar 10 1 p.m.
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- Tue, Mar 12 2 p.m. Coming Soon...
Sunday, March 10, 1 p.m. / Regular film admission prices apply Tuesday, March 12, 2 p.m. / Part of "Reel Kids" / Free with museum admission (Recommended for ages 12+) A story of celebration and tragedy, The Last Flight of Petr Ginz is a whimsical and fantastical journey through one boy's imagination. Combining animation, art, and live action, the documentary is a testament to how a boy's creative expression represents the best of what makes us human. By age 14, Petr Ginz had ... more info
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Sun, Mar 10 3 p.m.
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Introduction by Anne Wilkes Tucker, MFAH Gus and Lyndall Wortham Curator of Photography This film tells the story of the rise and politically motivated fall of the Photo League (1936–51), which served as the center of the documentary movement in American photography at a time when the camera was held to be, in James Agee’s words, “the central instrument of our time.” The Photo League’s membership roster included Sid Grossman, Aaron Siskind, Jerome Liebling, Dan Weiner, Morris Engel, Walter Rosenblum, ... more info
A Bottle in the Gaza Sea
2011, in Hebrew, Arabic, and French with English subtitles
Une bouteille à la mer
Showtimes
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Sat, Mar 16 6 p.m.
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Tal is a 17-year-old French woman who has settled in Jerusalem with her family. She writes a letter expressing her refusal to accept that only hatred can reign between Israelis and Palestinians. She slips the letter into a bottle, and her brother throws it into the sea near Gaza, where he is carrying out his military service. A few weeks later, Tal receives an e-mail response from a mysterious “Gazaman,” a young Palestinian named Naïm. And thus begins a turbulent ... more info
Showtimes
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Sat, Mar 16 8 p.m.
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Introduced by Ben Peter At the age of 96, photo shop owner Miriam Weissenstein never imagined that she would be facing a new chapter in her life. But when the shop – her late husband Rudi’s life’s work – was destined for demolition, this opinionated and uncompromising woman knew she needed help. Under the cloud of a family tragedy, a special relationship is forged between Miriam and her grandson, Ben Peter, as they join forces to save the shop and ... more info
Past Films in This Series
Mohammad Abu Mustafa, a 4-month-old Palestinian born without an immune system, will die without a bone-marrow transplant, a procedure that can be done only in an Israeli hospital. A desperate plea from his doctor to save the boy’s life leads Israeli journalist Shlomi Eldar to document this complex and emotional story. As Israeli and Palestinian doctors put aside their differences to protect the child, the audience is forced to confront the personal ramifications of the embargo of Gaza. Special ticket ... more info
"Based on actual events, Berlin 36 tells a dramatic story of two athletes during that year’s infamous Olympics. After the Americans threaten a boycott if no Jewish competitors are on the German team, Gretel Bergmann, a Jewish champion high jumper, is invited to train. Contriving a scheme to spoil Gretel’s victory, the Reich promotes an unknown athlete named Marie Ketteler. Neither Gretel nor her teammates have any idea that Marie is a man passing as a woman, nor did the ... more info
Thursday's screening introduced by director Jonathan Lee Sunday's screening Introduced by Tony Hoagland, poet and professor, University of Houston creative writing program Author of the legendary bestseller Growing Up Absurd, Paul Goodman (1911–1972) was also a bisexual poet, family man, pacifist, visionary, cofounder of Gestalt therapy and a moral compass for many in the burgeoning counterculture of the 1960s. Paul Goodman Changed My Life immerses audiences in an era of high intellect, when New York was peaking culturally and artistically. Using a treasure trove of ... more info
My Best Enemy
Mein bester Feind
2011, in German with English subtitles
Directed by Wolfgang Mumberger
“From acclaimed Austrian director Wolfgang Murnburger comes this charming wartime suspense thriller. Vienna, 1939: Jewish art dealer Victor (Run Lola Run’s Moritz Bleibtreu) and newly minted SS officer Rudi (George Friedrich) are childhood friends who find themselves on opposite sides of the coming storm. With an international incident over a hidden original Michelangelo print at stake, Rudi, who has appropriated Victor’s family estate and fiancée, must also secure Victor’s cooperation to ensure his own survival. Much like Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious ... more info
Mary Lou
Television series: Episodes 1-4
2009, in Hebrew with English subtitles
Directed by Eytan Fox
Following the trend of contemporary musicals like Glee, the made-for-Israeli-TV series Mary Lou features a soundtrack by Israeli pop star Svika Pick (who appears as himself). Acclaimed director Eytan Fox (The Bubble; Walk on Water) tells the story of a boy’s (Ido Rosenberg) search for his wayward mother (Maya Dagan) that eventually leads him to a new identity in Tel Aviv: as a drag queen named Mary Lou. The TV series won Israel’s national award for Best Miniseries in 2010. ... more info
Restoration
Boker tov adon Fidelman
2011, in Hebrew with English subtitles
Directed by Yossi Madmoni
Seventy-year-old Yaakov Fidelman (The Band’s Visit’s Sasson Gabai) is thrown into turmoil after the sudden death of his long-time partner in a Tel Aviv antiques restoration workshop. Just as his ambitious son Noah (Nevo Kimhi) pressures him to sell the business and build an apartment complex on the site, a talented new assistant shows up, giving him hope. Anton (Henri David) has many secrets, yet he forms a bond with Yaakov that Noah finds as threatening as the flirtation between ... more info