Five Jewish-themed, award-winning films produced in Uruguay, France, Israel and the U.S. will be shown on five consecutive Wednesdays evenings at 7 p.m. beginning April 29 at the Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Road. These films are suitable for those 16 and older.
Individual tickets are $7 per person and includes complimentary popcorn and a soft drink.
“Four of these films have garnered more than one hundred international film awards and nominations from Europe to North America to South America," said Sanford Wine, chair of the Chattanooga Jewish Film Series. "The other two have been too recently released to be eligible. Three were their country’s entry to the Academy Awards for best foreign language films, and a fourth entry was for best documentary.”
A sponsorship event with take place on April 22 and includes a cocktail reception and the only Chattanooga screening of the Academy Award winning Best Foreign Language Film from Poland, Ida. To find out about sponsorship opportunities or for additional information about the Film Series, contact Ann Treadwell at 493-0270.
The Series schedule is as follows:
April 29 Gett: The Trial of Viviane Ansalem 115 minutes, Hebrew, French, Arabic with English subtitles
This movie was the winner of the Israeli Academy Awards Ophir for Best Film of 2014. “Gett” is an intense courtroom drama portraying the social, legal and religious problems which can occur in Israeli divorce proceedings. Many in Israel see this movie as an indictment of the Israeli justice system which does not provide for civil marriage or its dissolution making divorce not just a personal choice, but a matter for God and a people .In this courtroom drama, an Israeli woman fights for five years to obtain a divorce from her husband, who refuses to grant his permission to dissolve the marriage.
May 6 Mr. Kaplan 98 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles
After fleeing Europe for Uruguay during WWII, Jacob Kaplan built a quiet life until, at age 76, he begins the emotional and comedic drive for significance. This is a black comedy. Mr. Kaplan was Uruguay's submission for Best Foreign Language Film.
May 13 The Art Dealer 95 minutes, French with English subtitles
The story follows a Jewish woman who embarks on a journey to recover family paintings that were stolen by the Nazis and uncovers some shadowy family secrets that were kept hidden. This film is unlike any other recent film about this time period, focusing on the family relationships instead of the quest of recovery.
May 20 The Muses of Issac Bashevis Singer
72 minutes, English, Hebrew, Yiddish with English subtitles
Nobel prize winner, Yiddish scholar and writer, Singer was an unlikely ladies man. Were his muses his haram? At least one was his wife.
May27 The Green Prince 99 minutes, English
The son of a founding leader in the Palestinian organization, Hamas, becomes a spy for the Israelis. No novelist could have made up this story and still be deemed credible. Winner of the 2014 Israeli Ophir and Sundance Audience Awards for best documentary, “The Green Prince” is an engrossing tale about the son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, turned Israeli spy. Mosab Hassan Yousef became disillusioned with the brutality of Hamas and was recruited and manipulated by Shin Bet. The intelligence he provided led to the prevention of dozens of suicide bombings and assassination attempts.
The Jewish Film Series is made available through the support of Chattanooga Allergy Clinic, Henderson Hutcherson & McCollough, Raymond James, Classic Wealth Advisory, Southport Capital, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and Chattanooga Theatre Centre, in addition to donations by more than 80 individual sponsors.
The Jewish Cultural Center, funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga, offers programs, classes, and exhibits; social services; and a preschool—all rooted in Jewish values. The facility enables the Jewish community to raise its visibly, foster relationships, and strengthen its identity in the Chattanooga area. Located at 5461 North Terrace, the Center and its programs are open to everyone regardless of religious affiliation.