A tragically torn apart band’s final concert. An interracial love in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. A comedians’ “boot camp.” A French tribute to American Jewish comedian-filmmaker Woody Allen.
These are some of the themes to be found in the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center’s 16th annual Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival.
It begins on Sunday, Oct. 13, and runs through Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Marcus North Shore Cinemas, 11700 N. Port Washington Rd.
Countries represented in this year’s festival include Israel, the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and the United States. An added attraction this year is a free showing of a Marx Brothers classic.
• Sunday, Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m. “Ballad of the Weeping Spring” (2012). Torn apart by tragedy, a legendary band reunites to play a final concert. The Israeli film won four Ophir Awards. Shown in cooperation with the Israel Center of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation.
• Monday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. “Sonny Boy” (2011). This film adaptation of a best-selling Dutch novel by Annejet van der Zijl is based on the true story of a mixed-race couple and their struggle to survive and help others, particularly Jews, in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. Shown in cooperation with the Nathan & Esther Pelz Holocaust Education and Resource Center.
• Tuesday, Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m. “Nono, the Zigzag Kid” (2012). Soon-to-be bar mitzvah boy Nono strives to discover the reasons for his “zigzag” nature. The film is a European adaptation of a novel by Israeli author David Grossman.
• Wednesday, Oct. 16, 4 p.m. “Animal Crackers” (1930). This free showing and discussion of the Marx Brothers classic comedy is a teaser for Next Act Theatre’s “Groucho: A Life in Review,” Nov. 14-Dec. 8. The talkback will feature director/choreographer Pam Kriger, artistic director David Cessarini, actor Norman Moses (Groucho) and Jody Hirsh, JCC Judaic Educator. Presentedin cooperation with Next Act Theatre and the JCC Department of Judaic Education.
• Wednesday, Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m. “When Comedy Went to School” (2013). The resorts in the Catskills Mountains provided venues for young Jewish performers to hone their material in front of audiences. This documentary is narrated by Robert Klein and features interviews with the comedians and footage from their old performances.
• Thursday, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m. “Paris-Manhattan” (2010). Alice, a perpetually single French pharmacist, has a rambunctious Jewish family that has a sense of urgency for her to find a man. Her only refuge is Woody Allen: his films, his thoughts, and even occasional conversations seeking his counsel about life.
Except for the free showing of “Animal Crackers,” the movies each evening are $10 general admission, $9 students/seniors. A five-movie pass is general admission $45 and seniors/students $40. A “Patron Pass” of $100 includes one reserved seat for each movie, and $50 is tax-deductible.
Co-chairs of the festival committee are Cindy Benjamin and Ronna Bromberg Pachefsky. For more information, contact Micki Seinfeld, JCC director of special events, 414-967-8235 or mseinfeld@jccmilwaukee.org.
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