Friday Film: From Paris With Love
Isaac Zablocki is the director of film programs at The JCC in Manhattan.
“Five Hours From Paris” is an Israeli film, inspired by classic French New Wave cinema, that tells the story of a taxi driver with a fear of flying and a Russian immigrant who is planning to move to Toronto. When “Five Hours From Paris” screened on November 2 at The JCC in Manhattan, the sold out audiance asked director Leonid Prudovsky, “why does this film not have an American distributor?” Prudovsky explained that the reason might be because the film is not political. But in a war-stricken region, it is refreshing to have an occasional glimpse of daily life and true humanity. I took the opportunity to talk to Prudovsky about his love of French movies, the reaction to “Five Hours From Paris” in Israel, and the film’s inadvertent politicization in the wake of last June’s flotilla incident. “Five Hours From Paris” next screens on December 9 at the Washington Jewish Film Festival.
Watch an interview with Leonid Prudovsky:
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30