Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival. This was a festival I had heard about purely by accident. I was waiting in line to go into a screening at the Palm Springs International Film Festival back in January when I heard about the Jewish Film Festival happening in March. I decided immediately that I would put it in my calendar and make sure I could go. This is the first Jewish film festival I have attended, and while I may have been the youngest person perhaps in attendance the day I went, the festival did not disappoint. I saw three feature films, all of which highlight different aspects of the Jewish experience in today's complex world. Being Jewish myself, I felt like I had a particular appreciation for these films.
The first film was a documentary called Germans and Jews. The film highlights the Jewish experience in modern day Berlin, which has one of the fastest growing Jewish populations in the world today. This is particularly interesting given Germany's history with the Holocaust. The film discusses how the country has transformed into one of the most democratic societies in the world and has confronted its history head on. Through interviews with Germans both Jewish and non-Jewish, born in Germany as well as foreign born, the film discusses the German-Jewish experience in the 21st century. Some of the people interviewed are German-born non-Jews, while some others are foreign born Jews who have come to Germany. I was particularly struck by the people who spoke about others' reactions when the would find out that the person was Jewish. They spoke about non-Jews not knowing exactly how to react to the news that this person was Jewish. While it seems as if for the most part, over 70 years later, things have gotten better, there is still a serious presence of anti-semitism throughout Germany as well as throughout Europe as a whole. The film does not necessarily highlight the current wave of anti-semitism sweeping through the country, but grapples with it in context of Germany's past. The film talks about how important the country's part in WWII is and how people growing up there today learn so much about it; and how they were on the wrong side of history. Germans and Jews asks the question, when is it time to move on? At what point do we realize that the ugliness of the history is there? And at what point can we not let it weigh us down in today's world, even though it was the wrong thing to do? I found this documentary to be particularly insightful as a young Jewish person in America today. While I cannot necessarily identify with the German perspective, I can identify with the perspective of the young Jewish person living in a 21st century democracy. This is not the kind of documentary that tells the history of Jews in Germany, but rather about being Jewish in modern Europe. It's the kind of film that provides a great basis for a discussion long after one leaves the theater.
The second film I saw was a mockumentary called The 90 Minute War. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has raged on for generations. Peace agreements and compromises have not worked in determining who's homeland it really is. Finally after all of this, the best compromise they have come up with is a soccer game. Yes, that's right, a soccer game. 90 minutes to determine who gets to stay and who has to find a new homeland. This fake documentary (think Spinal Tap) is incredibly entertaining. While we do not actually get to see the match or its result, it is a fun take on a way that the conflict can one day come to an end. The film follows multiple people, both the Israeli and Palestinian ministers of sport, the organizing committee, IFA, a fun take at FIFA, and the man who manages the stadium in Portugal in which the game will be played. The process to get to this game is nearly insane. The two ministers of sport argue over everything, including who qualifies to even be on both respective teams, who qualifies to be the referee (they want someone literally as neutral as humanly possible), and even on whether the match should be played in Portugal or some other neutral site like Switzerland. The film highlights all sides of this conflict quite evenly and very well. It gives us as neutral-seeming perspective as perhaps is possible. It pokes fun at both ministers who are pulling as many strings as they can to get the game to be more advantageous to their respective team. There are plenty of things that are completely absurd in this film that make it very comedic at times, and really, the whole story and concept are pretty absurd as well. All it takes to settle this whole conflict is just a 90 minute soccer match? Gosh, if that was all it took, then this conflict could be settled so easily. And although the film makes it look this easy, we all know that in real life it's much more complicated than that and that a soccer game won't settle it. Perhaps the most important thing this film provides is a glimmer of hope that one day the conflict will be settled in a peaceful way that will work for both sides, ultimately bringing peace to the region.
The third and final film screened the day I attended the festival was an Israeli film called Our Father. The winner of 12 Israeli Academy awards, this really is an excellent film. Ovadia Rahamim and his wife, Rachel, have been trying to have a baby for a few years and it has not worked out very well. Rachel is a very religious woman and Ovadia is not a particularly religious man, but he is willing to do whatever he can so that they can have a child. Ovadia is a security guard/doorman at a popular night club in Tel Aviv. He is fearless and is willing to break up any disturbances that might occur on a given night at the club. He has gotten into fights with people as he tries to break up their fights. Some of the people who often attend this club are Shalom Rozental and his associates. Rozental is a gangster who is looking for a hired hand. He knows that the club isn't paying Ovadia very well and that in order to get Rachel pregnant, they are going to have to go to an expensive fertility clinic. Rozental can help, but for him to do that, Ovadia is going to have to work for him on the side. Rozental is owed a lot of money by a number of people and needs someone who is tough, fearless, and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Ovadia accepts the offer and begins to work on the side for Rozental. At first it's not so bad. He beats a few people up, collects their money, and makes bank. As Ovadia grows into his role in this world, things become more dangerous, and as he begins to want out, it gets harder and harder to leave. There comes a tipping point, where Ovadia must make a choice as to whether the people closest to him at the club get hurt, or he and his wife get hurt. While the characters are seemingly all a little flat, they are well acted. The story is not anything that American audiences aren't totally familiar with, but can certainly relate to on some level in reference to other gangster films. I very much enjoyed this film. It is well acted, well paced, and intense enough to keep audiences interested until the very end. This is the kind of film that many people would find entertaining. Not only does it take audiences through an emotional journey, but a somewhat spiritual journey as well, especially as Rachel seeks religious help to understand why she cannot bear a child. I definitely would recommend this film.
The three films I saw at this festival were three very different films. They were screened in a good order, progressing from the documentary to the fully narrative film. All three films showcase intriguing stories with interesting things to learn. I very much enjoyed this film festival and will make sure I can attend again next year, but perhaps for longer than one day.
Image Source: Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival website
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