Sunday, February 21

Inside Hana's Suitcase  9:30 a.m.
Canada, 2009, 75 minutes, Japanese, English with subtitles
Blending documentary and dramatic techniques, this moving film tells the story of two children who grew up in pre-WWII Czechoslovakia and the terrible events that they endured just because they happened to be born Jewish. Based on an internationally acclaimed book, it is also the present-day story of a group of Japanese children and their tenacious teacher, Fumiko Ishioka, and how they solved the mystery of Hana Brady, whose name was painted on an old battered suitcase that they received from Auschwitz. The film seamlessly transports us through history and back and forth across three continents, providing the viewer with a contemporary global perspective.

CCJCC | $5
Co-sponsor: Holocaust Center of Northern California. Underwritten by Selma & Paul Forkash and Eve Gordon-Ramek & Henry Ramek.

White Balance  11:00 a.m.
Israel, 2003, 50 minutes, Hebrew with subtitles
Twelve year-old Itamar enjoys one passion: ice skating with his partner Natalie, a wild and rebellious girl. But suddenly his competitive edge is put to the test when he is diagnosed with a hearing loss. His only chance of becoming an ice skating champion rests upon Natalie’s loyalty. Playing with a selection of family-oriented shorts, including Shelf Life, USA, 2009, 2 minutes.

CCJCC | $5

Comme Ton Père (Father's Footsteps)  
1:00 p.m.
France/Israel, 2007, 95 minutes, French and Hebrew with subtitles
Nominated for 5 Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Film, Comme ton Père takes you to the early 1970s when the Maimons, a tight-knit Tunisian-Israeli family, settle in Paris seeking their fortune. Felix (Gad Elmaleh), Mirelle (Yael Abecassis) and their two young sons rely on each other especially when Felix’s minor crimes escalate to bank robbery after he meets a local Jewish gangster (Richard Berry). It is then that 11 year-old Michael, who has always thought of his father as a “super hero,” discovers that his definition of hero needs to change.

CineArts | $5
Co-sponsor: Tri-Valley Cultural Jews.

Killing Kasztner  3:30 p.m.
USA, 2008, 120 minutes, Hebrew, Hungarian and English with subtitles
Was Rezso Kasztner a hero or a traitor for having negotiated with the Nazis to save the lives of over 1600 Hungarian Jews in 1944? This documentary showcases an historic mystery, a courtroom drama, a political murder and a family saga. After WWII, Kasztner was accused of collaboration, and became the focus of one of the most inflammatory political trials in Israel, only to be assassinated in Tel Aviv. We see the Kasztner family’s efforts to rehabilitate their father’s legacy and also hear from his detractors, among them Kasztner’s assassin.

CineArts | $10
Co-sponsor: Congregation B’nai Tikvah. Underwritten by Joyce and Max Gross. Guest Speaker: Film Director Gaylen Ross.

Eli & Ben  4:30 p.m.
Israel, 2009, 90 minutes, Hebrew with subtitles
A successful architect and town planner, Ben (Lior Ashkenazi, the star of Walking on Water and Late Marriage) has all the trappings of a successful life—a good home, a happy marriage and Eli, an intelligent and mischievous 12 year-old son. But a few days after refusing to approve a planning permit for an ugly shopping centre, Ben is charged with corruption and accepting bribes. Eli’s life seems like a roller coaster ride as the news makes its way into his school and the media. Convinced of his father’s innocence, Eli is determined to see his father cleared. This bittersweet drama is for film lovers of all ages!

Vine Cinema | $7

La Fille du RER (The Girl on the Train)
7:00 p.m.
France, 2009, 105 minutes, French with subtitles
In one of his best films, veteran French director Andre Techine turns in a provocative and passionate drama about the complexities of modern French politics and society. With an ensemble cast that includes Catherine Deneuve, the film unfolds the story about Jeanne, a fragile young woman who lives with her widowed mother in a Parisian suburb. The first half focuses on Jeanne’s relationship with a young man with a dubious background. In the film’s second half, Jeanne casts herself as a victim of an anti-Semitic assault, leading her and her mother to seek out the counsel of Samuel Bleistein, a leading figure in Paris’ Jewish community. Adult content.

CineArts | $10
Underwritten by City National Bank and Bette & Stewart Schuster.

Srugim, Episodes 4–6  9:15 p.m.
Israel, 2009, 90 minutes, Hebrew with subtitles
Srugim, one of Israel’s most popular TV series (and a big hit at our ‘09 Festival) is back with 12 new episodes screened over several days! You will fall in love with these thirty-something Modern Orthodox Jerusalamites and share their emotional ups and downs as they look for love in all the wrong places. Srugim (which is a reference to the knitted yarmulkes of its male characters) was awarded best drama honors plus three additional statuettes by the Israeli Film and Television Academy.

CineArts | $10
Underwritten by Claudia & Rick Felson
and Eileen & Rob Ruby.

Inside Out  7:15 p.m.
South Africa, 2000, 98 minutes, English
Guess who is directing the Christmas pageant? In this romantic comedy-drama, Hazel Levine, an extroverted Jewish actress from Johannesburg, is stranded in a small South African town. Soon, she finds herself drafted to direct the annual Nativity play, falls in love with a ruggedly handsome Boer sheep farmer, and is forced to deal with the petty intrigues of the townsfolk when she wants to involve the black community in the pageant. Inside Out is a must-see film!

Vine Cinema | $10

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