It all started with Shoestring, and
the 2004 installment of the Rochester Jewish Film Festival, July 11 through
July 18, means that festival season is officially underway. Over 100 films were
considered in the festival’s fourth year; 16 made the final cut. The majority
of the selections are documentaries that look at the Jewish experience the
world over, stopping in places that might not spring to mind when you think
about Judaism, such as Argentina (Born in
Buenos Aires), Australia (Welcome to
the Waks Family), Ireland (Shalom
Ireland), and Tennessee (Paper Clips).
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย There
are also a handful of feature films, including 1936’s Yidl Mitn Fidl, the most commercially successful musical in the
history of Yiddish cinema. A couple of filmmakers will stop by to present their
films, and a number of the documentary subjects will be on hand as well. More
information, including ticket prices and the festival schedule, is available in
the RJFF program as well as at the festival’s website, www.rjff.org. But the
folks over at the JCC, who are presenting the festival, were kind enough to let
me get a peek at a few of this year’s selections.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Opening
night will see the unspooling of Divan, a charming and touching
documentary that on its surface recounts the search for a sofa in Eastern
Europe. But it actually tells the more personal story of one young woman’s
quest for understanding and acceptance. That woman is filmmaker Pearl Gluck, a self-described
“second-generation outcast” who heads to Hungary and the Ukraine in
hopes of tracking down her great-great-grandfather’s couch that legend has it
was slept on by a number of important Kossony rebbes.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย She
does this in hopes of pleasing her father, from whom she has grown slightly
estranged since her parents’ divorce, but the one thing her father desires is
for her to marry and rejoin the Hasidic fold in Borough Park, Brooklyn. The
film takes an insider’s look at the Hasidic community, and specifically the lot
of Hasidic women, who are saddled with expectations and restrictions that might
seem antiquated to the outside world but give many Hasidim security and
tradition to rely upon.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Not
Ms. Gluck, however — through her very personal narration we learn that once
she began to question tradition as a teenager, she “slipped,”
resulting in the distance between her and her dad. So does she find the divan
and win the approval of her father? Maybe. Ms. Gluck will be here to introduce Divan and, if her on-camera persona is
indicative of her off-camera personality, lead a lively and intelligent
discussion following the film.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Amos
Gitai is arguably the best-known Israeli filmmaker working today. He’s been
nominated a couple times for the Palme d’Or and makes critically acclaimed
art-house offerings with Woody Allen-like regularity. His latest film, Alila,
takes an Altman-esque look at the intertwined lives of the residents of a Tel
Aviv apartment building. We meet a constantly bickering divorced couple and
their AWOL son, a shady older man and his sad young mistress, a Holocaust
survivor and his Filipina housekeeper, as well as a number of peripheral
characters that help to move the plot along.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Though
its title means “story plot” in Hebrew, Alila is more a slice of life than an actual story with a beginning
and an end. It drops in on daily life in the big city and makes no attempt to
downplay the differences between people living among such volatility, both
within themselves and in their ramshackle surroundings. The work by Gitai and
his crew behind the camera is exceptional and accomplished enough to distract
you from the occasional melodramatic misstep in front of it.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The
festival’s Saturday night offering is Jonathan Kesselman’s The Hebrew Hammer, a
delightfully profane and often funny film about “the baddest Hebe this
side of Tel Aviv,” Mordecai Jefferson Carver (Adam Goldberg), and his
struggle to save Hanukkah. Santa Claus had been working closely with the Jewish
community, but after being offed by a couple of his reindeer (“Et tu,
Blitzen?”) his evil son Damien (Andy Dick) decides to rid the world of the
other December holidays.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The
Hebrew Hammer, backed up by his own Shaft theme rip-off, joins forces with the
head of the Kwanzaa Liberation Front (Mario Van Peebles) to combat the new
Santa’s megalomania. Total and obvious Borscht Belt humor rules the day, and
hopefully you like swearing — all profanity, in its many compound variations,
is accounted for. But don’t worry — the only people likely to be offended by
this film are Jews, Christians, and African-Americans.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย And
when the Hebrew Hammer threatens to use the most powerful weapon in a Jew’s
arsenal, you know exactly what he’s talking about. But as a certain Jewish
woman I know would have reminded Damien, you can only feel guilty if you have
something to feel guilty about. This woman also claims I’m not so big that she
can’t put me over her knee, so I had better be a good semi-shikseh tochter and lay off.
The Rochester Jewish Film Festival, July 11 through 18, presented by
the Jewish Community Center, screens at the Little and Dryden Theatres. $9, $12
for opening and closing night features. Check www.rjff.org, 461-2000 ext 235
for schedules.
This article appears in Jul 7-13, 2004.
