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Winner of the Grand Prix at the 2007 Montreal World Film Festival, Un Secret is a haunting film that reveals the repressed secrets of a French family. It smoothly transitions between the 1980s when a Jewish psychoanalyst (played by the great French actor Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace, The Diving Bell and The Butterfly) searches for information about his parents’ lives during the years immediately before and during World War II. As Amalric reconstructs his family history, we understand better the complexity of the life-and-death decisions that people made when bigotry and terror overran France. Adult content.

Co-sponsor: Temple Isaiah
Underwritten by: Eve Gordon-Ramek and Henry Ramek, and Beryl and Ivor Silver

Bay Area Premiere! This award-winning film, which received great reviews at the prestigious International Critics’ Week in Cannes and the Jerusalem Film Festival (where it won Best Feature) focuses on the rivalries and spats of a Moroccan-Jewish Israeli family. It is the first Gulf War and amidst Scud missile attacks and the donning of gas masks, the Ohaion family comes together for the traditional seven days of mourning (shiva). Maurice Ohaion has died suddenly, leaving behind a wife, two children, six brothers, two sisters and a matriarch-of-a-mother. His demise is the catalyst for festering resentments and gossip, but also love and expectations of loyalty. Shiva boasts an impressive cast of some of Israel’s best actors including director/actress Ronit Elkabetz (The Band’s Visit, Late Marriage), Moshe Ivgy, Keren Mor, Yael Abecassis, Hana Azoulay-Safrari, Hanna Laszlo, and Alon Abutbul. “[The acting] is flawless, and the ensemble cast works together seamlessly.”—Variety. Adult content.

Co-sponsor: Consulate General of Israel
Underwritten by: Eileen and Rob Ruby

East Bay Premiere! During one magical summer, 13 year-old Assaf falls in love with a neighborhood girl. But his affection is not returned. Enter his neighbor, a 300 year-old witch with a knack for match-making. A modern day urban fairytale about first love and self-confidence for children of all ages!

Co-sponsor: Contra Costa Jewish Day School

13 year-old Nelly is fixated on two things—preparing for her Bat Mitzvah and her crush on the Prince of Luxembourg, a young man who shares her interest in astronomy and outer space. When Nelly, who lives in Berlin, learns that her school basketball team is going to compete at a tournament in Luxembourg, she calls on 16 year-old Max Minsky to help her join the team. A film perfect for the entire family!

Co-sponsor: Center for Jewish Living and Learning

East Bay Premiere! Did you know that the first basket scored in the league that would later become the NBA was scored by a Jewish player? Actor Peter Riegert narrates this fascinating documentary about the early days of basketball and how it grew from a Jewish game, with many of its stars hailing from Manhattan’s Lower East Side, to one that is now enjoyed around the world. Relive the heyday of Jewish basketball!

Co-sponsor: Men’s Jewish Basketball League at the Contra Costa JCC
and the Maccabi Games Basketball Teams

Bay Area Premiere! After the Six Day War in 1967, the Israeli government released 5,000 Egyptian POW’s in exchange for three men and one woman. These four had been imprisoned for 14 years for their part in the espionage operation, Operation Susannah, in which an Israeli spy ring operated inside Egypt to prevent the British from evacuating the Suez Canal. This fast-paced, must-see documentary reveals the political crisis that led to the resignation of the Israeli Defense Minister, Pinhas Lavon.

This warm family film could be renamed “The Outsiders” as it focuses on the challenges facing a boy who doesn’t fit into his kibbutz close-knit society; a Russian girl with telepathic powers; her mentally challenged brother; and a boy who is trying to cope with the death of his father. All four embark on a rescue expedition to save the lives of two travelers who have disappeared in Israel’s southern desert. Determined to find the missing couple, the friends form a heroic team that shows us that children can make a difference in the world.

East Bay Premiere! Winner of “Best Film” at the Berlin International Film Festival, Lemon Tree is an intelligent, entertaining movie about a hot-button topic—the challenges of safeguarding Israel. Director Eran Riklis (The Syrian Bride) sets his story in Zur HaSharon on the Israel-West Bank border. When the new Israeli Defense Minister builds a house adjacent to a lemon grove owned by Salma Zidane, a 42 year-old Palestinian widow, security forces order the removal of the trees as they offer a place where terrorists can hide. But Salma decides to challenge this decision in the Israeli High Court and the evolving love story between her and her Palestinian lawyer provides a strong undercurrent. Another emotional wallop occurs when Mira, the Minister’s wife, bravely defies her husband’s approach to the situation. Adult content.

Tickets for this film MAY still be available at the door. Please call Riva Gambert at 510.839.2900 ext. 253 for information.

13 year-old Nelly is fixated on two things—preparing for her Bat Mitzvah and her crush on the Prince of Luxembourg, a young man who shares her interest in astronomy and outer space. When Nelly, who lives in Berlin, learns that her school basketball team is going to compete at a tournament in Luxembourg, she calls on 16 year-old Max Minsky to help her join the team. A film perfect for the entire family!

Co-sponsor: Tri-Valley/Tri-Cities Midrasha

Bay Area Premiere! Imagine a Friends-style television series about the singles scene in Jerusalem with characters who are hip, 30-somethings and…Modern Orthodox! Srugim is one of the most popular series on Israeli television today and is getting “two thumbs-up” rave reviews. It focuses on the new social class of well-educated young adults whose religious upbringing did not prepare them for single adulthood. The characters—including a surgical intern who is unwilling to settle down (Ohad Knoler, The Bubble, Yossi and Jagger) and the woman who loves him to no avail—try to live within the constraints of tradition while seeking love and companionship. (Episodes 1, 2 and 3)

Co-sponsor: Young Leadership Division

Called “enthralling” by The New York Times, this compelling documentary focuses on the journey of James Carroll, a former Catholic priest, as he confronts persecution in the name of God—both in historical and contemporary times. His search also reveals a growing scandal involving religious influence at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

East Bay Premiere! This charming documentary reveals the personalities behind the “makeup” of arch-rivals Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden—two amazing women who dared to create a mainstream industry at a time when only performers and prostitutes wore cosmetics.

Narrated by three-time Academy Award nominee Joan Allen, this gripping and heartbreaking story captures the short life of Hannah Senesh, the poet who became a Resistance fighter. In 1944 while living in Palestine, Hannah joined a British-led mission that parachuted behind enemy lines into Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe. Israeli President Shimon Peres, who knew Hannah in the 1940s, retraces the perilous mission of Hannah and thirty-one other Jewish-Palestinian parachutists.

Guest Speaker: Roberta Grossman, Director
Co-Sponsor: Holocaust Center of Northern California

Nominated for eight Israeli “Oscars,” including Best Actress and Best Music, Ha-Sodot (The Secrets) captures what happens when two brilliant young women discover their own voices within traditional Jewish society. The headstrong Naomi, daughter of an Orthodox rabbi, postpones her wedding to study at a religious seminary in the ancient town of Safed, the birthplace of Jewish mysticism. There, she meets Michelle, a high-spirited Parisian student. Together, they use a series of secret rituals to help a dying older woman with a scandalous past. Adult content.

Co-Sponsors: Beth Chaim Congregation, The LGBT Alliance and the Women’s Philanthropy Division

East Bay Premiere! Thirty-five year-old Henri and his wife return to his childhood home in Tunisia in search of his family roots. As he digs into the past, he learns about his parents’ passionate courtship and marriage in the 1920’s and of the impact the Vichy Government had on them and his family under the German Occupation.

Co-Sponsor: JIMENA

East Bay Premiere! “Is it hot in here, or am I the only one dressed for Poland in the 17th Century?” While Yisrael Campbell certainly looks like an Ultra-Orthodox rabbi with his long black coat, big black hat and side curls, he is also a comedian who converted to Judaism not once but three times. In this hilarious and soul-searching stand-up routine/documentary, he talks about his spiritual journey—from a drugged up teen in Philadelphia to a comic in Jerusalem.

A Green Chariot

Israel, 2008, 48 minutes, Hebrew with English subtitles

After arriving in Israel from Russia, 22 year-old Sasha changes his name to Ya’ir and jumps into his new life as an observant Jew. Just before he is to get married, he receives his late mother’s music box with a green chariot on its lid. After opening this “Pandora’s box,” Ya’ir realizes that he must face his past before he can ensure his future.

Bay Area Premiere! As “The Heart’s Choice” (the Israeli version of the TV show The Bachelor) launches its third season, its creator Zacky Reibenbach decides upon a gimmick to pump up the ratings. The female contestants will vie for the love of a bachelor who has lost his eyesight. The gimmick: the women won’t know that the sunglass-wearing man is blind. This provocative and satirical exposé of reality shows won the Wolgin Prize for best feature film. Adult Content.

Jakob Beer is a man whose life is transformed by his childhood experiences during WWII when, at age nine, he escapes invading Nazi troops. Miraculously, he is rescued by Athos Roussos (Rade Serbedzija in an unforgettable performance) who is a Greek archaeologist working at a Polish dig site. After the war, Athos and Jakob immigrate to Canada. Haunted by his past, the adult Jakob seeks relief by writing. But it is not until he meets Michaela (Ayelet Zurer) that he allows himself to start living his own life. A lyrical and exquisite film. Adult content.

Co-Sponsor: Congregation B’nai Shalom
Underwritten By: Pearl and David Furman in memory of her mother Ruth Mruvka

Bay Area Premiere! In the mood for a good old-fashioned weepy? This warm coming-of-age tale from Argentina opens with thirteen-year-old Jenny receiving the first of several letters from her late mother. Over the next decade, these letters will be a source of comfort to her—especially when she must make important life choices: deciding whether to marry her rebellious Spanish musician boyfriend against her father’s wishes or to leave Argentina for Israel.

Bay Area Premiere! Narrated by Chaim Topol (Fiddler on the Roof), the newsreel footage in this amazing film is as fresh and fascinating as it was when it was last screened in 1962. This gem of a documentary captures the spirit of pre-state and early Israel, piecing together raw material shot by Nathan Axelrod, a pioneer of Israeli filmmaking. Here we see Mayor Meir Dizengoff riding his horse in the young city of Tel-Aviv; David Ben Gurion getting a new hair-do, and “illegal” immigrants from Europe reaching the shores of Palestine in the ‘40s.

Bay Area Premiere! This gripping dramatic feature captures the battle of wills between police Captain Avner Less and Adolf Eichmann. The German-speaking Avner is assigned to interrogate Eichmann after the Nazi leader is captured in Argentina and brought to Israel to stand trial. Gradually, Avner uncovers the harrowing truth about Eichmann’s role in WWII. The movie features an all-star international cast, including Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong, Downfall, The Pianist), Franka Potenta (The Bourne Identity, Run Lola Run) and Stephen Fry (V for Vendetta). Adult content.

Co-Sponsor: Holocaust Center of Northern California

East Bay Premiere! Viggo Mortensen stars as John Halder, a decent German literature professor caught up in the rise of Nazism. When one of his books is enlisted by powerful political figures in support of government propaganda, Halder soon finds his career taking off with the tide of national prosperity. But seemingly inconsequential decisions lead to devastating repercussions. Mortensen, best known as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, earned an Oscar nomination for Eastern Promises. Also stars Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series). “An extremely powerful…drama of a man caught at a crossroads…It’s the best work that Viggo Mortensen has ever done.”—Jeffrey Lyons. Adult content.

East Bay Premiere! Los Angeles based director, Hava Volterra, tries to come to terms with her father’s death by traveling to Italy to trace the roots of her family tree. With the help of her feisty 82 year-old aunt, she travels relentlessly from city to city, digging through ancient manuscripts and interviewing a wide range of quirky scholars. Using Monty Python-style animation along with music from Golden Globe nominated composer Carlo Siliotto, this documentary tells the story of Jewish mystics, money lenders, scientists and politicians. Both utterly hilarious and emotionally gripping, The Tree of Life is a fresh look at history.

Bay Area Premiere! My Fair Lady and West Side Story in Hebrew? This fast-paced documentary (featuring Yaffa Yarkoni, Rivka Raz and Yoram Gaon) reveals how Israeli music promoter Giora Godik capitalized on his nation’s hunger for culture, and made a fortune by bringing Broadway musicals to the Israeli stage. Then, after the huge success of Kazablan, his fortunes dramatically changed.

Guest Speaker: Donny Inbar, Israel Center/San Francisco

Bay Area Premiere! Director Eli Cohen (Aviya’s Summer, Under the Domim Tree, The Quarrel) transforms the story of the ship “Altalena” (which was shelled during the War of Independence by the Israeli Army just off the shores of Tel-Aviv) into an uncompromising struggle of wills between two historic figures: Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and opposition leader Menachem Begin. This dramatic feature draws on the disagreements they had over the nature of political opposition in a democratic state.

Underwritten by: The Winchell Family Trust

East Bay Premiere! The Debt revolves around three Israeli Mossad agents who become famous for their alleged capture of the infamous “Surgeon of Birkenau”—a monstrous war criminal. Twenty years later, an elderly man now living in the former Soviet Union boasts that he is the “Surgeon” and the three former agents resolve to hunt him down. Miramax will soon make an American version of this exciting thriller. Winner of four Israeli Academy Awards, The Debt stars the great Israeli actress Gila Almagor. Adult content.

Co-sponsors: Congregation B’nai Tikvah and Diablo Valley Hadassah
Underwritten by: The Winchell Family Trust and City National Bank

Tickets for this film MAY still be available at the door. Please call Riva Gambert at 510.839.2900 ext. 253 for information.

Winner of the Grand Prix at the 2007 Montreal World Film Festival, Un Secret is a haunting film that reveals the repressed secrets of a French family. It smoothly transitions between the 1980s when a Jewish psychoanalyst (played by the great French actor Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace, The Diving Bell and The Butterfly) searches for information about his parents’ lives during the years immediately before and during World War II. As Amalric reconstructs his family history, we understand better the complexity of the life-and-death decisions that people made when bigotry and terror overran France. Adult content.

Bay Area Premiere! Imagine a Friends-style television series about the singles scene in Jerusalem with characters who are hip, 30-somethings and…Modern Orthodox! Srugim is one of the most popular series on Israeli television today and is getting “two thumbs-up” rave reviews. It focuses on the new social class of well-educated young adults whose religious upbringing did not prepare them for single adulthood. The characters—including a surgical intern who is unwilling to settle down (Ohad Knoler, The Bubble, Yossi and Jagger) and the woman who loves him to no avail—try to live within the constraints of tradition while seeking love and companionship. (Episodes 1, 2 and 3)

Co-sponsor: Consulate General of Israel

This brilliant documentary chronicles how the thirty-year movement to free Soviet Jews blossomed into what was likely the most successful human rights campaign of all time. Told through the eyes of activists on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the film is a tapestry of first-person accounts of heroism, sacrifice, and ultimately, liberation. We hear from “Prisoners of Conscience” as well as from Alan Dershowitz, Elie Wiesel, Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Schultz, Senator Henry Jackson, Natan and Avital Sharansky, Vladimir Slepak and Communist leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Underwritten by: Michael, Stacey, Evan, Rachel and Sarah Sherman in memory of Norma Sherman, one of the founders of the Film Festival