Five Jewish-themed, award-winning films produced in the United States, France and Israel will be shown in-person and virtually on five consecutive weeks beginning at Monday, Aug. 22 and continuing through Friday, Sept. 23.
Each in-person screening will begin at 7:15 p.m. and be held at the Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Road. Each virtual film screening will be available from noon on Sunday and conclude at noon on Friday.
To register to view the films in-person or virtually visit www.jewishchattanooga.com. Films are available for $12.
Virtual screenings must be pre-paid in advance by visiting www.jewishchattanooga.com. You will receive the login code the first morning of the screening and a link for recordings of discussions and interviews for specific films. Walk-ins for in-person screenings are available for those people who are vaccinated. Masks are optional. All films in the Series have garnered international film awards and nominations, and have received recognition at film festivals throughout the United States, Europe and Israel.
The Jewish Film Series schedule is as follows:
1. In-person Monday, Aug. 22 / Virtual noon Sunday, Aug. 21 – noon Friday, Aug. 26
Our (Almost Completely True) Story
Finding true love in Hollywood has always been challenging; it's even more difficult when you're no longer a young starlet, no matter how many movie-star friends you have. And, if you're a short funnyman with a face for radio, well, you can practically forget it. Still, true love can happen. This romantic comedy features Mariette Hartley, Jerry Sroka, Morgan Fairchild, John Rubinstein, Peter MacNicol, Sam McMurray and others. English, 92 minutes
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoQRyYPwbcQ
2. In-person Monday, Aug. 29 /Virtual noon Sunday, Aug. 28 – noon Friday, September 2
Berenshtein
In an old house in the modest neighborhood of Kiryat Ata, Israel, neighbors did not imagine that the old man who lives next door is the last living commander of a partisan battalion in World War II. He is the man who located the secret facility where the Germans developed their last hope for victory - the V2 missiles. Russian, German, Polish, Subtitles 105 minutes
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDolRt9M5aE
3. In-person Tuesday, Sept. 6 /Virtual noon Sunday, Sept. 4 - noon Friday, Sept. 9
A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff
A hybrid of memoir docudrama and narrative fantasy, the film tells the story of Madoff, seen through the eyes of musician/poet Alicia Jo Rabins, and the system that allowed him to function for decades. Fueled by her growing obsession and real-life interviews, she transforms them into music videos, and a vivid, vulnerable work of art reflective of her unique perspective. English, 75 minutes A recorded interview with Alicia Rabins (writer/actor), Alicia Rose (Director) and Lara Cuddy (Producer) facilitated by Chattanoogan Alison Lebovitz will also be available.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOoK6ghCrts
4. In person Monday, Sept. 12 / Virtual noon Sunday, Sept. 11 – noon Friday, Sept. 16
The Levys of Monticello
This film is a documentary that tells the little-known story of the Levy family, who owned and carefully preserved Monticello for nearly a century – far longer than Jefferson or his descendants. The remarkable story of the Levy family also intersects with the rise of antisemitism that runs throughout the course of American history. English, 71 minutes A recorded interview with Steve Pressman (Director) with Chattanoogan, Alison Lebovitz will also be avialble.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0cC8U_ei1A
5. In-person Monday, Sept. 19 /Virtual noon Sunday, Sept. 18 - noon Friday, Sept. 23
Rose
In this film Rose, 78, has just lost her beloved husband. When her grief gives way to a powerful impulse of life that makes her realize that she can still redefine herself as a woman, the whole balance of the family is upset. French, Yiddish, 102 minutes
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Njo9lEjpim0
A committee of dedicated volunteers reviews an average of 25 documentary films each year in order to choose four films. Films screened at major national and international film festivals, those recommended by peers throughout the United States, and those brought to the committee’s attention by filmmakers are included in the selection process. Corporate sponsors are Chattanooga Allergy Clinic, Market Street Partners, Patton Albertson & Miller, Chambliss, Barnett & Company, First Horizon and Kleen-A-Matic.