also
screening Sunday, December 15th,
7:00 pm
(Closing Night Film & Reception)
Filmed on the striking, expansive plains of Kenya, Nowhere In Africa is an inspiring tale based upon author Stefanie Zweig's best selling autobiography. As the Nazis rise
to power in Europe, Jewish lawyer Walter Redlich makes a daring escape from Germany to colonial Kenya. Soon after, his wife Regina (Juliane Koehler from Aimee and Jaguar) and five-year-old daughter, Jettel, join him at the dusty African farm that will become their new home. Their initial transition is a rocky one, particularly for Regina, who longs for her comfortable home in the Prussian town of Breslau. In time though, Walter, Regina, and Jettel are rolling up their sleeves, tilling the fields, planting
the crops and battling hordes of locusts. With the help of Owuor, the family cook, and Suesskind, the farm hand, the Redlich family gradually succeeds in building friendships with their Kenyan neighbors. But the Great War soon reaches their corner of the globe. When the guns are finally silenced, the Redlichs face a difficult decision; to return to post-War Germany or stay in their adopted homeland of Africa. With its stunning photography, grand themes and international cast, Nowhere In Africa is an epic in the truest sense of the word.
Co-sponsored by the Goethe-Institut Washington; in cooperation with
the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
Welcoming Remarks: Werner Ott, Director, the Goethe-Institut Washington
Polonaise
Netherlands, 1989, 35mm
92 minutes
Dutch with English Subtitles
Director: Frans Weisz
Saturday, December 14th, 8:45 pm
It is the second marriage for both Lea and Nico, and they are throwing a wild lavish party. Now "thirtysomething"
in 1972, both of them were, as children, hidden with Christians during World War II. While Lea's parent's survived, Nico's mother died. The wedding celebration is in full swing but it is wracked by memories of the war. As characters emerge and flirt with each other, the atmosphere sizzles, and much about the past is revealed. Director Franz Weisz masterfully succeeds in prying open the post-war Pandora's box. Snappy, deep and often funny this film was a smash in Europe and was nominated for Best Foreign film at the 1990 Academy Awards (Film note adapted from San Francisco Jewish Film Festival).
In cooperation with The Royal Netherlands Embassy Washington, DC
Welcoming Remarks: Erika Dieterman-Koehler, Cultural Attaché The Royal Netherlands Embassy Washington, DC
Special Guest: Frans Weisz, Director
A Match Made in Seven
Canada, 2002, Video
46 minutes
English
Director: Ilan Saragosti
Saturday, December 14th, 11:00 pm
By the 1990s, one of every two North American Jews was marrying out of the
faith. In an attempt to reverse this trend, Orthodox Rabbis
in Los Angeles invented SpeedDating - a seven minute round-robin
event where eligible men and women get the chance to meet
and, hopefully, connect with other Jewish singles. In
this offbeat documentary, Director Ilan Saragosti brings
us center stage for Vancouver's first SpeedDating event
where we meet four singles, determined to find "the perfect
match."
Before viewing this film about a growing dating wave
in all of Jewish America, check out SpeedDating
for yourself. You may meet your match in only seven minutes!
SpeedDating begins at 8:30 and continues until 10:00 pm.
The registration fee is $30/person and includes SpeedDating
event, Coffee Hour, and film. Register online: www.speeddating.com
Not ready to SpeedDate yet? Then why not join other singles
for a pre-film Coffee Hour from 10:00 to 10:45 pm. The
$12 admission includes the Coffee Hour and film ticket.
Registrations can be made at www.boxofficetickets.com
Co-sponsored by the Canadian Embassy and DCJCC Adult Programs
with
Goulash
USA, 2002, 16mm
14 minutes
Czech with English Subtitles
Director: Mimi Zora
This intimate, v�rit�-style vignette portrays several generations of a Czech-Jewish immigrant family convening in a Queens, New York neighborhood for a birthday dinner (note adapted from the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival).
THE WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
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Nowhere
In Africa