thePULSEPULSE FILM: Jewish Film Series
Universal stories of family, faith, and self discovery
The Worcester Jewish Film Series features the best from the Boston Jewish Film Festival
The three films featured at the Worcester showing are Nina’s Tragedies, The Rashevskis’ Tango, and Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi. Nina’s Tragedies, directed and written by Savi Gavison, will be shown on May 17 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. The film, billed on its website as “a comedy about love, laughter and whatever comes after,” tells the story about a 14 year old boy named Nadav and his coming-of-age experience.
Bonjour Monsieur Shlomiwill play on May 26. The film is about sixteen year old Shlomi Bar- Dayan, whose schooling and intellect are overlooked in his chaotic family setting until the intervention of a math teacher sparks the beginning of his self-discovery.
Lastly, The Rashevskis’ Tangois scheduled for May 26. The French film features the story of three generations of Rashevskis. The matriarch of the family, Rosa, used the tango as a cureall and hated rabbis and religion. When she dies at 81, her family is surprised to find out that she had secured a plot in a Jewish cemetery, a discovery that causes them explore their relationship with Judaism.
Nancy Greenberg, JCC Cultural Arts Director, worked with Steve Sandberg of Cinema 320 this year on choosing the films. The number of films available for screening was huge, she says, it was just a question of figuring out which were the best films. Sandberg chose Nina’s Tragediesas the last Cinema 320 film of the year, overlapping it with the regular film series. “He chooses wonderful films and has been doing so for 20 years. He’s a great community cooperator, joining in with whatever film festivals make sense for him and the community, and he’s a pleasure to work with,” Greenberg says.
Last year, the JCC co-sponsored a more extensive film festival at both Cinema 320 and the now-defunct Bijou Cinema, with multiple showings of seven or eight films. Greenberg says that the Jewish Film Series will be smaller than last year without the Bijou as a possible venue. She is trying to figure out a strategy for the future; it may include purchasing sound equipment, a large screen and a projector to show films at the JCC in Worcester.
Greenberg expects to draw a diverse crowd to the series. She explains that she anticipates an audience of “people who like film, people who come to Cinema 320, and people who would probably have wanted to go to the Boston Film Festival but couldn’t make it.” The series is aimed at the Jewish community, but the themes of the films are universal and will appeal to everyone.
For more information, contact Nancy Greenberg at (508) 756- 7109, ext. 232 or via email ngreenberg@ worcesterjcc.org.
