PAPA
The Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival’s SPRING FEST 2019 at AMC CityPlace
Boca Raton, FL – Ellen Wedner, director of The Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival, today reiterated the cinematic line-up for SPRING FEST 2019: nine international films that will be shown next week at AMC CityPlace in West Palm Beach.
Presented by the Mandel Jewish Community Center of the Palm Beaches, the SPRING FESTmovie schedule will include:
Monday, April 1:
* 1 pm
BUDAPEST NOIR, from Hungary (2018)
Directed by Éva Gárdos and set in 1936, Zsigmond Gordon is a crime reporter cut from classic film noir cloth. He takes a cynical view of politics, including the sudden death of the Hungarian prime minister, whose fondness for Adolph Hitler has inspired the fascists. It’s a chance meeting with an alluring woman, however, that really triggers Gordon’s curiosity, especially when she later turns up murdered, a Jewish prayer her only possession. Gordon sets out to learn her identity and transform her death from back-page filler to front-page news.
(Hungarian with subtitles, 95-minutes)
* 3:30 pm
FRACTURES, from Israel (2017)
Directed by Arik Lubetzky, this is a timely film that raises universal questions. Oded, a renowned professor, research scientist and father of two sons, is on his way to receive a prestigious award, accompanied by his wife Merav. Unexpectedly, the police call and ask him to stop by to answer a few questions. It turns out one of Oded’s most promising graduate students, has accused him of sexual misconduct, a charge the police take seriously. The film takes place during a single day when the family’s life comes apart.
(Hebrew with subtitles, 82-minutes)
Tuesday, April 2:
* 1 pm
PAPA, from USA (2018)
Directed by Dan Israely, this is a heart-warming movie about love, companionship, relationships, and family. A college student who was adopted as a baby decides to search for his biological dad and tracks down a man played by David Proval (Mean Streets, The Sopranos) with his birth father’s name at a mental institution. His quest disrupts his relationship with his adoptive parents (Frankie Avalon and Daryl Hannah). Also featured in this film are Paul Sorvino, Ann-Margret, Michael Madsen, Eric Roberts, Vincent Pastore, and Misha Barton.
(English, 105-minutes)
* 3:15 pm
A FORTUNATE MAN, from Denmark (2018)
Directed by Billie August and set in the late 19th century, Peter, an ambitious young man from a devout Christian family in Western Denmark, travels to the Danish capital of Copenhagen to study engineering, rebelling against his clergyman father. He encounters the intellectual circles of a wealthy, Jewish family and seduces the elder daughter, Jakobe. Per, as he now calls himself, conceives a large-scale engineering project and lobbies for its construction. But just as Per seems to be about to make his dreams come true, his pride stands in the way. This epic film is based on the novel, Lykke-Per by Danish Nobel Prize-winning author Henrik Pontoppidan published in eight volumes between 1898 and 1904. Billie August is the Academy Award Winning director of Pelle the Conqueror.
(Danish with subtitles, 162-minutes)
Wednesday, April 3:
* 1 pm
DOLPHIN BOY, from Israel (2011)
Directed by Dani Menkin & Yonatan Nir, this is the story of 17-year-old Morad, an Israeli-Arab who has lost touch with reality as the result of severe physical abuse. As a last resort his father takes him to Eilat for rehabilitating treatment with Dolphins. Filmed over the course of four years, this powerful documentary is about the devastating havoc that human violence can wreak upon the soul, and about the healing powers of nature and love. Film co-director Dani Menken will lead an after-film discussion,
(Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles, 72-minutes)
* 3:30 pm
ON THE MAP, from Israel (2016)
Directed by Dani Menkin and the Audience Award Winner 2017, this is the true story of Israel’s 1977 basketball team. This was the first team to bring the European Cup to Israel, just a few years after the Yom Kippur War. When this ragtag team of Israelis and Americans won, Israel was placed firmly on the map. With incredible footage of 1970s Israel and interviews with Bill Walton and the other athletes who made history, ON THE MAP honors Israeli heroes and mesmerizes fans of the game.
(English and Hebrew with subtitles, Total program is 115-minutes)
Note: Filmmaker Dani Menkin will attend the screening and present his new work-in-progressAULCIE.
Thursday, April 4:
* 1 pm
CHEWDASIM, from Canada (2018)
Directed by Eli Batalion & Jamie Elman, this delightful documentary follows two native Montrealers as they eat their way through the long time Jewish district and the rich cultural history of Jewish Montreal over the last 100 years. It’s a day like no other as our guides explore classic Jewish eateries and the millennial take on farm to table Kosher dishes. This delicious film is a gastronomic adventure to be savored, a warm-hearted, affectionate tour of Montreal with a pair of hilarious and hungry guides with a bottomless appetite for great food and witty conversation.
(English, French and Yiddish with subtitles, 62-minutes)
* 4 pm
THE INTERPRETER (Tlmočník), from Slovak Republic, Czech Republic and Austria (2018)
Directed by Martin Šulík, this film follows Ali, an 80-year-old translator who comes across a book written by a former SS officer recounting his war experiences in Slovakia. Ali realizes that one of the chapters may well describe his own parents’ execution. Armed with a pistol, he sets off to Vienna to look for the SS man and take his revenge. Once there, the only person he encounters is the man’s son Georg, who has spent his whole life avoiding his father. The translator’s visit arouses Georg’s curiosity and he decides to invite Ali on a trip through Slovakia. Gradually, these two very different men begin to warm to each other and together, they discover a country that would prefer to forget about its past. 2019 Academy Awards Official Slovakia Entry Best Foreign Language Film; Winner, Film Critics Circle Award, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival; Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival.
(German and Slovakian with subtitles, 114 minutes)
Friday, April 5:
* 1 pm
THE MAMBONIKS, from USA (2019)
Directed by Lex Gillespie, bagels meet bongos in this exhilarating documentary that tells the little-known story of the Jewish love affair with Latin music. Set in Havana, Miami Beach, New York and the Catskill Mountains, this fun, uplifting film features a lovable, somewhat zany collection of dancers from the 1950s. Now retired yet still dancing in Florida, they share their passion for the mambo, the hot dance from Cuba that became a world-wide sensation. With an infectious soundtrack including Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and mambo king Pérez Prado, this film explores a mostly unexamined aspect of Jewish life and culture.
(English, 90-minutes)
* 3:30 pm
GOLDA’S BALCONY: The Film, from USA (2019)
Directed by Scott Schwartz from the long-running Broadway hit, the film starring award-winning actress Tovah Feldshuh covers the rise of Golda Meir from Russian schoolgirl to the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. One of the most thrilling and amazing stories of the 20th Century, this is a rare, multi-camera shoot from the play’s original run that was recently unearthed and assembled into a riveting motion picture. According to Elie Wiesel, “Tovah Feldshuh’s performance is brilliant. Everyone should see GOLDA’S BALCONY, it’s a miracle.” This was the 2019 Audience Award Winner at The Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival.
How to Get Tickets to SPRING FEST 2019:
Tickets are complimentary for Cheverim, Star Arts, and Film Society badge holders. For Film Society Actor members, tickets range from $10 to $14, and from $12 to $16 for nonmembers. They are available for purchase through the website www.PBJFF.org or by calling 877-318-0071.
About the Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival:
Presented by the Mandel Jewish Community Center of the Palm Beaches, The Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival strives to bring to South Florida the finest examples of cinema from around the world. Founded in 1990 the festival continues to grow and evolve as it continues to expand the selection of narrative features, short films and documentaries to reflect the tastes and needs of its audience. The 29th annual The Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival was held Jan. 20 through Feb. 12, 2019. For more information, please visit www.PBJFF.org.
About the Mandel Jewish Community Center of the Palm Beaches:
The Mandel JCC has two locations in Palm Beach County. The Boynton Beach building is at 8500 Jog Road and the Palm Beach Gardens building is at 5221 Hood Road. For more information about the Mandel JCC of the Palm Beaches, visit www.jcconline.com.
The mission of the Mandel JCC of the Palm Beaches is to build community and enhance connection to Jewish life. The Mandel JCC is a partner agency of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.