Five Countries, Five Nights, One Great Film Festival
The 11th Annual Jewish Film Festival • October 26 - 30, 2008

The Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival brings the best Jewish films from around the world to our city for five consecutive nights. From award winning features to inspiring documentaries, these films are meant to evoke, inform, provoke, or entertain. The Festival covers a range of topics from an array of countries. We are grateful to the Marcus North Shore Cinemas for their generosity since our inception in1997. They have helped our Festival grow in size and popularity and we are now a much anticipated program during the fall season.

This year's offerings are:

Sunday, October 26
NOODLE

ISRAEL 2007, 35 mm, 90 minutes • Director: Ayelet Menahemi Hebrew and Mandarin with subtitles • Cast: Mili Avital, Bao Qi Chen, Alon Abutbul
Noodle is a touching comic drama spun around a flight attendant’s (Mili Avital) life-affirming adventure and the captivating plight of an abandoned Chinese boy. It is also the story of relationships between sisters, wives and husbands, friends and strangers. A Chinese domestic disappears leaving her young son at the home of her employer, Miri. What we know about the son is he doesn’t speak Hebrew, and loves the noodles at a Chinese restaurant. After an extensive search, Miri discovers that the woman was apprehended and deported to Beijing because of illegal documentation. Miri, determined to reunite mother and son devises an ingenious plan that takes advantage of her position as an attendant with El-Al, which just happens to fly to Beijing. Winner of the Israeli Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and nominated for 10 others. Winner of the Special Grand Jury Award at the Montr World Film Festival. In cooperation with the Israel Center of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Rakefet Ginsberg, Shlicha.

Monday, October 27
MAX MINSKY and ME

Germany, 2007, 35mm, 95 Minutes • German with English Subtitles • Director: Anna Justice
Nelly Sue Edelmeister is a brainy, skinny, thirteen-year-old Berlin school girl with big eyes and glasses. Her Jewish American mother’s and her German Christian father’s marriage is coming apart. Her mother pushes her to study for her Bat Mitzvah, but she would rather spend her time in her fantasy world obsessing about the cosmos and the dreamy Prince of Luxembourg. A school basketball championship offers her a chance to meet fellow astronomy fan and heartthrob Edouard, Prince of Luxembourg, but Nelly is more brain than jock, so Nelly turns to school basketball ace Max Minsky who is more jock than brain and offers to do his homework in exchange for basketball lessons. Max Minsky and Me is comedy about friendship and family, and discovering the true meaning of friendship.

Tuesday, October 28
DANS LA VIE (TWO LADIES)

FRANCE 2007, DVD, 73 min • French with English subtitles Director: Philippe Faucon • Cast: Sabrina Ben Abdallah, Ariane Jacquot, Zohra Mouffok, Hocine Nini
An elderly Jewish woman needs assistance in her daily routine. When her son’s work requires him to leave town for a while, he arranges for an Arab woman to be caregiver to his cantankerous mother while he is away. At first glance, it appears to be a collision of cultures and a recipe for disaster, but as their stories unfold, it becomes evident that they have more in common than they thought. For example, both of them come from the same town in Algeria. By the time the Jewish woman’s son returns, the story has taken a wonderful turn! A lovely French comedy.

with CIRCUMCISE ME!

USA, 2007, DVD, 48 min • English • Directors: David Blumenfeld & Matthew Kalman
“Is it hot in here, or am I the only one dressed for Poland in the 17th century?” Yisrael Campbell looks more like a rabbi than a comedian, but don’t be fooled by the big black hat, frock coat and Hasidic side-curls. Born Chris Campbell, the son of an ex-nun and a Catholic schoolteacher, he converted to Judaism not once, but three times - Reform, Conservative and Orthodox. His spiritual journey began as a drug-drenched teenager in Philadelphia and ended in Jerusalem among the suicide bombs of the Palestinian intifada. So what’s to laugh about? It’s the way he tells it. Circumcise Me is a hilarious, searching and moving story of one man’s quest for spiritual enlightenment against the bewildering backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Former Milwaukeean, Director David Blumenfeld invited.

Wednesday, October 29
STEALING KLIMT

United Kingdom, 2006, 35 mm, 89 Minutes • English • Directors: Jane Chablani and Martin Smith
This documentary is a fascinating account of the struggle by Maria Altmann to recover five paintings by Gustav Klimt owned by her family in Vienna, which were stolen by the Nazis. She was determined to take on the Austrian and the American governments in order to reclaim the masterpieces. The history of the five paintings from their creation, until the 2006 resolution, is a remarkable tale of the battle to return them to their rightful owners. In cooperation with the Nathan & Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center.

Thursday, October 30
SIXTY SIX

United Kingdom 2006, 93 Minutes • Director: Paul Welland Cast: Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Marsan, Gregg Sulkin
It is the summer of 1966 and Bernie’s family is preparing to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. The exact day is chosen, despite the fact that the finals for the World Cup of soccer is scheduled to take place at the same time. Everybody expects England will be eliminated. However, England keeps winning and winds up playing for the championship. Bernie’s guests call in one by one with various excuses as to why they can’t attend. But Bernie knows the truth. They are in front of their televisions rooting for England! This film skillfully recreates the time period and features terrific performances by all, including Helena Bonham