Blu-Ray set of restored Yiddish classics comes alive with excellent commentary
“The Jewish Soul’’ gives a moving portrait of Yiddish cinema and the people who helped create it.
In ‘The Dead Of Jaffa,’ The Past Haunts Israel’s Present
The film weaves together Israeli and Palestinian realities, memories real and imagined, usable past and an entirely untenable present.
How Russia Created a Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center Even Vladimir Putin Can Tolerate
Opened in 2012, Moscow’s Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center has become a major tourist attraction. But in telling the history of Jews in Russia, it has sacrificed some deeper truths. Olga Gershenson assesses the accomplishments and liabilities of the $50 million museum.
Is Zombie Armageddon a Metaphor for Mideast Conflict?
‘Jeruzalem,’ the new Israeli horror film about a zombie Armageddon, is an equal-opportunity disaster for Jews, Arabs and others and a sharp commentary on the eternally embattled city.
An Indelible Legacy
The numbers tattooed on the skin of concentration camp victims rank among the most horrifying images of the Holocaust. ‘Numbers’ explores what they mean to survivors.
Friday Film: Iraq, Israel, and Rock 'n' Roll
Courtesy of Ruth Diskin Films
In the Occupied Territories, Order Trumps Law
The audience was remarkably quiet during a screening of “The Law in These Parts” at the Jerusalem Film Festival. My fellow Israelis, who usually have no qualms about exchanging opinions during a movie, or even about answering an occasional cell phone call, sat absolutely still. Even after the movie ended, there was a moment of shocked silence before the audience burst into applause and called onstage the director, Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, and the producer, Liran Atzmor. It was very clear which film would win the prize for best documentary.
A Queen Honored, a King and a Jester Premiered
Director Mark Donskoy thrived under Stalin by playing the fool, while making movies about war and the Holocaust. A new documentary reveals his personal and creative tightrope.